FORMER SOMERVILLE AND CAMBRIDGE TEACHER SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

FORMER SOMERVILLE AND CAMBRIDGE
TEACHER SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

BOSTON – Josh Wairi, 28, of Somerville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 12 years in prison and eight years of supervised release.  In May 2015, Wairi was convicted following a jury trial of transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  When released from prison, Wairi will be required to register as a sex offender.

Wairi, a former fifth and sixth grade teacher in the Somerville and the Cambridge Public Schools, used his email account to trade and receive images and videos of child pornography, and also uploaded images and videos of children being sexually exploited.  Wairi possessed more than 27,000 images and over 530 videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Wairi admitted to viewing the images for sexual self-gratification. 

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas, made the announcement today.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus and Seth B. Orkand of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit. 

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. 

Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information regarding this case should call (617) 748-3274.