Decade-Old Manchester Child Porn Case Now Involves Fed Charges

MANCHESTER, CT — A man with a decade-long history of child exploitation offenses that originated in Manchester is now facing federal charges, prosecutors said.

David X. Sullivan, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New England, today announced that Nicholas Burnham, now 33 and now of East Hartford, has been charged via a federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, Burnham was convicted in state court for possession of child pornography in the second degree. In December 2015, he was arrested in Manchester as part of a Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit into the sharing of child pornography over the Internet that took place in May of that year. 2015.

The investigation traced Internet activity to Burnham’s Manchester address and Burnham's computer contained files of suspected child pornography, according to a police report.

His probation for that offense was terminated in 2018 after he was convicted of possession of child pornography in the first degree. In 2023, Burnham began serving a term of special parole.

On Dec. 17, believing that Burnham was using an unauthorized electronic device, Burnham’s parole officers and the Connecticut State Police searched his residence and seized three cellphones, According to the federal complaint. Preliminary forensic analysis of the phones revealed more than 2,000 images and videos depicting "child sex abuse," according to the federal complaint. Burnham used Telegram and other encrypted messaging applications to trade child sex abuse material with others, and also accessed numerous webpages to view and download child sex abuse material, according to the federal complaint.

Burnham has been detained in state custody since Dec. 17. He made his initial appearance in Hartford federal court on May 30, Sullivan said.

The complaint charges Burnham with receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum term of 40 years; and with possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and a maximum term of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are "enhanced because of Burnham's prior state convictions, Sullivan said.