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Former Boston Children’s Fellow Sentenced to 22 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes

Prosecutors say he produced child sexual abuse material after agents traced him through a closed chat group.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper imposed a 22-year prison term, five years of supervised release, and $65,722 in restitution, with an additional restitution hearing set for March 26.
  • Christopher Sheerer pleaded guilty in September 2025 to producing, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material.
  • Investigators began tracking a private chat group in May 2024, linked activity to an IP address at Johns Hopkins, searched his Boston apartment on July 18, and arrested him six days later.
  • Court filings say the group required a male guardian claim and a nude image of a known child with a handwritten identifier, which prosecutors say Sheerer provided.
  • Digital forensics on his phone revealed lascivious images and videos of children, including some depicting sex acts with adults, and the case was pursued under DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood.