Provincetown man pleads guilty to possessing, distributing thousands of child porn files

A Provincetown man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to multiple child pornography charges, according to prosecutors.

Laurence Pagnoni, 65, pleaded guilty to one count each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in an announcement. He was arrested on the charges in April 2024.

Law enforcement began investigating Pagnoni after a man arrested in a child exploitation sting told them that Pagnoni had distributed child sexual abuse material to him in March 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Investigators determined that Pagnoni had sent thousands of child pornography files to the man using the online cloud storage platform MEGA.

Pagnoni’s cell phone was seized during a search of his Provincetown home in May 2023, prosecutors said. Investigators found thousands of images and videos containing child pornography, including at least 51 known series of material that were identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

For each charge, Pagnoni faces up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, according to prosecutors. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 12.

Anyone with questions, concerns, or information about the case can call 617-748-3274, federal prosecutors said.

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