A Fitchburg man, Sean Pettigrew, 50, has been arrested and charged with distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through Kik Messenger. The arrest was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
Pettigrew faces one count of distribution of child pornography and is detained pending a hearing on July 18, 2025, in federal court in Worcester. According to the charging document from April 2025, Pettigrew was identified as part of a Kik Messenger group focused on the sexual abuse of children. He allegedly sent multiple images depicting CSAM to an undercover agent posing as a member of the chat and shared several CSAM files with other users on the app.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to 20 years in prison, along with at least five years to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett from the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Members of the public with questions or information about this case can contact authorities at 617-748-3274.
The allegations against Pettigrew remain accusations until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
