WORCESTER — A former Webster official pleaded guilty
Wednesday in U.S. District Court to possession of child
pornography.
Michael Pavlis, 57, of 18 Lakeside Ave., Webster, was arrested Sept. 24 by the FBI after his computer and related equipment had been seized.
Mr. Pavlis filled an unexpired term on the Webster School Committee in 2000 and 2001, and ran twice for full terms, but was not elected. He also has served on school superintendent search committees and other committees.
He retired last year from the state Department of Developmental Services.
According to FBI Special Agent Jennifer L. Weidlich, Mr. Pavlis acknowledged nearly daily chats online from Thanksgiving 2009 until sometime after the following Jan. 1 with a man the FBI identified as Matthew Harman of Amarillo, Texas.
Mr. Pavlis also acknowledged receiving eight images that appear to be child pornography in e-mails from the person he was chatting with Dec. 20, 2009, and that he requested them, she said.
The computer had evidence of deleted images of child pornography, and a floppy disk had four images of child pornography depicting adult males or minor males with minor males, according to the FBI. Using a victim database, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified two of the images Mr. Pavlis received by e-mail from Mr. Harman.
Mr. Harman, 26, was arrested in January 2010 and indicted June 30 by a Randall County, Texas, grand jury on 12 felony counts of promotion of child pornography, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. That stemmed from an investigation by the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Under a plea agreement reached between the U.S. attorney’s office and defense lawyer Robert E. Amorello, prosecutor Karin M. Bell will recommend a prison sentence at the low end of the federal advisory sentencing guidelines, but not less than 37 months.
Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV set sentencing for March 30.
Michael Pavlis, 57, of 18 Lakeside Ave., Webster, was arrested Sept. 24 by the FBI after his computer and related equipment had been seized.
Mr. Pavlis filled an unexpired term on the Webster School Committee in 2000 and 2001, and ran twice for full terms, but was not elected. He also has served on school superintendent search committees and other committees.
He retired last year from the state Department of Developmental Services.
According to FBI Special Agent Jennifer L. Weidlich, Mr. Pavlis acknowledged nearly daily chats online from Thanksgiving 2009 until sometime after the following Jan. 1 with a man the FBI identified as Matthew Harman of Amarillo, Texas.
Mr. Pavlis also acknowledged receiving eight images that appear to be child pornography in e-mails from the person he was chatting with Dec. 20, 2009, and that he requested them, she said.
The computer had evidence of deleted images of child pornography, and a floppy disk had four images of child pornography depicting adult males or minor males with minor males, according to the FBI. Using a victim database, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified two of the images Mr. Pavlis received by e-mail from Mr. Harman.
Mr. Harman, 26, was arrested in January 2010 and indicted June 30 by a Randall County, Texas, grand jury on 12 felony counts of promotion of child pornography, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. That stemmed from an investigation by the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Under a plea agreement reached between the U.S. attorney’s office and defense lawyer Robert E. Amorello, prosecutor Karin M. Bell will recommend a prison sentence at the low end of the federal advisory sentencing guidelines, but not less than 37 months.
Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV set sentencing for March 30.
