Former Massachusetts National Guardsman Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

BOSTON – A former Master Sergeant of the 102 Security Forces of the Massachusetts National Guard stationed in Sandwich, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Nicholas Wells, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 78 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2025 , Wells pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024 . Wells engaged in chats on a messaging application, in which he discussed his interest in minors and distributed videos depicting child pornography. Over 300 images and 100 videos depicting child pornography were located on his phone. It was also determined that Wells distributed over 70 videos depicting child pornography, some of which involved infants. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Barnstable and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted 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 .