BOSTON  - A Framingham man was arrested and charged today in federal court
in connection with threats that he allegedly made to harm the reputation of a victim by posting nude pictures of the victim on the internet and threatening to send copies of such pictures to the victim’s boyfriend. The photos were allegedly taken when the victim was under the age of 18.

Joshua M. Pizette, 22, formerly of Hopkinton, was charged in an indictment with
five counts of threat to injure reputation, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transprtation of child pornography.

According to the indictment, on various occasions in March of 2010, Pizette threatened to post naked pictures of the victim on the Internet. Additionally, it is alleged that Pizette threatened to send copies of the pictures to the victim’s boyfriend if the victim did not send Pizette 10 additional naked pictures. Pizette allegedly transported computer files which contained visual depictions of a minor under the age of 18, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

It is also alleged that from Feb. to April 2010 Pizette knowingly possessed
computers and other storage media that contained visual depictions of minors under the age of 18 years engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted, Pizette faces up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years of prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, Chief Richard A. Flannery of the Hopkinton Police Department and Chief Steven Carl of the Framingham Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.