A Lowell resident, Steven Estrada Ramirez, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. The plea was entered on November 24, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris. Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2026. Estrada Ramirez was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.
According to authorities, Estrada Ramirez participated in several groups on a mobile chat application where the main purpose was sharing and viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). At the time of his arrest, he possessed a USB drive with over 700 video files containing CSAM. Investigators also found that his cell phone’s home screen displayed an image of CSAM and the device contained thousands more images and videos involving children estimated to be between one and eight years old.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and potentially up to a lifetime of supervised release, as well as a fine up to $250,000. Possession of child pornography can result in up to 20 years in prison with similar terms for supervised release and fines. After serving any sentence imposed, Estrada Ramirez will face deportation proceedings. Sentencing decisions are made by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus from the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 to protect children from exploitation and abuse by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about this initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
