Naugatuck Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge: Feds

NAUGATUCK, CT — A Naugatuck man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge in connection with possessing child sex abuse materials while he was on probation for prior child exploitation state charges, according to officials.

Travis Tilley, 41, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Marc H. Silverman announced.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Tilley was convicted in 2019 in state court of risk of injury to a child, which involved sexual intercourse with a person under 13, and possession of child pornography.

In August 2022, he was released from state custody and began serving a 15-year term of probation, according to officials.

“On March 9, 2023, state probation officers conducted an unannounced visit to Tilley’s residence and seized his laptop and a flash drive,” officials wrote in a news release. “Analysis of the seized items revealed that Tilley had utilized prohibited software and had accessed sites that provide sexually explicit material; that he was using encrypted email and messenger services; that he had used an operating system that is configured to leave no digital footprint; and that he was a member of internet chat rooms that focused on child pornography and AI-generated child pornography.

“The analysis also revealed two videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children, approximately 60 images of AI-generated child pornography, and sexually explicit chat room messages sent by the laptop user.”

Tilley is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, at which time Tilley faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Officials said the penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Tilley’s prior state convictions.

Tilley has been detained since his state arrest on March 28, 2023.