BOSTON – A Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to using his Kik account to distribute and possess child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Sean Pettigrew, 50,pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2027. Pettigrew was arrested and charged in July 2025.
In April 2025, Pettigrew was identified as a member in a Kik Messenger group devoted to the sexual abuse of children. Pettigrew sent multiple images depicting CSAM in private messages to an undercover agent posing as a member of the chat. A subsequent search of Pettigrew’s Kik Messenger account revealed that he had sent multiple CSAM files to other users on the app. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than five years up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.