Man Gets Prison For Downloading Child Sex Abuse Images, Videos: Feds

NORTH BRANFORD, CT —Joseph Amadeo, of North Branford, was handed a seven-year sentence in federal court Monday for downloading child sex abuse images and videos from the dark web, according to the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors said he was a registered sex offender in Connecticut.

Amadeo, 39, will also be subject to a lifetime of supervised release once he completes his federal prison term, according to US Attorney for Connecticut, Vanessa Roberts Avery.

According to Avery, per court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Amadeo for his involvement in an online community of individuals who sent and received child pornography images and videos on the dark web. Amadeo was a registered sex offender on the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry based on a 2013 state conviction involving child pornography, the prosecutor noted.

On March 24, 2021, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Amadeo’s residence and seized Amadeo’s computer and other electronic devices, Avery said. Analysis of the devices revealed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, many as young as infants, the federal prosecutor added.

Amadeo was arrested in June 2021 and in April 2023, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, the US Attorney said.

Amadeo, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on Feb. 2.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Oakes and Shan Patel. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.