Danvers Family Psychologist Found Guilty On Child Pornography Charges

DANVERS, MA — A former North Shore child and family psychologist accused of keeping a "hidden room" containing thousands of images of child pornography in his Danvers apartment was sentenced to three to four years in state prison after being found guilty on child pornography charges.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office said Mark Ternullo, 71, was charged after a contractor doing work in his Danvers apartment discovered the photos in 2022. Court documents charged that an investigation revealed additional photos on Ternullo's hard drive.

He was found guilty after a three-day trial on two counts of possessing child pornography in Salem Superior Court last week and was sentenced on Wednesday. He was also sentenced to three years of probation after serving his term and will have to register as a sex offender.

Ternullo worked for 20 years as a child and family psychologist and worked for schools in Beverly, Gloucester, Methuen, Middleton, Newburyport, and Newton. His license to practice psychology was suspended by the state in 2022.

The case involved work by the Danvers Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Crime Scene Services units.

The Essex DA's Office said in 2022 that Ternullo was charged with child pornography after a contractor hired to renovate the bathroom of Ternullo's apartment removed the wall behind the bathtub because of extensive water damage and "found a hidden room in which multiple boxes full of pornographic images of children were stored."

The DA's Office said Ternullo had lived in the apartment for the past 23 years.

As part of the sentence, the DA's Office said Ternullo was also ordered to stay away from the apartment and have no contact with anyone under 18 years old.