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The US District Court in Boston has sentenced 34-year-old Alexander Aiello to four years’ imprisonment.
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Aiello, a former Gloucester police officer, got the sentence due to his possession of child abuse material.
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The incident reflects the seriousness that law enforcement attaches to child sexual abuse material and efforts in protecting children.
A Gloucester ex-police officer has been sentenced to four years of federal imprisonment for possessing child pornography on January 23, 2026, as evidenced by a court record for law enforcement positioned on his case at the US District Court in Boston.
Alexander Aiello, age 34 from Gloucester, Massachusetts, received a primary sentence from the US Senior District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, after pleading guilty to one count of child pornography on October 25, 2025.
This conviction stems from the offender repeatedly accessing child pornography websites to download, view, and exchange child pornography through the hidden “dark” web using specialized software.
After serving his time, he will be on supervised release for a period of 5 years. The Bureau of Justice explains that this strategy is part of a larger federal effort to combat child exploitation and hold offenders accountable for their crimes.
How Aiello’s Actions Were Discovered
The investigation into Aiello started from the concerns raised by both local police and federal law enforcement agents regarding his online activity. On April 28, 2025, authorities granted a warrant to search Aiello’s residence. Evidence obtained during the search included Aiello’s personal computer, cellular device, and a USB thumb drive located in the nightstand adjoining Aiello’s bed.
A forensic examination of the laptops and USB flash drives showed that Aiello downloaded and used the Tor Browser, which allows users to access the internet anonymously and visit dark web sites hidden from search engines through encrypted communications—the same hidden networks that are the target of large-scale international law enforcement actions, such as the recent global sting that dismantled a major dark web network sharing child exploitation material.
The USB thumb drive and recorded files on Aiello’s laptop showed that he recently visited a website where he could easily obtain child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Further, investigators discovered more than 200 files on the USB drive containing CSAM, as indicated by statements provided by investigators present at the site of the discovery.
It has become evident that some offenders go to great lengths in order to conceal their illegal behavior by using encrypted websites and offline storage material. The United States Department of Justice defines “child sexual abuse materials” (CSAM) as, among other things, drawings and photographs representing a minor sexually engaged in acts and indicates that distributing and/or possessing such material are serious federal criminal offences.
Federal Response and Efforts to Protect Children
According to the prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, this sentence is a direct reflection of the seriousness of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) offenses. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley also stated that offenders obtain the material by committing crimes against children and continue to harm and victimize them by possessing or viewing it, even in secrecy.
The FBI & Project Safe Childhood (which began in 2006) assisted with the prosecution of Aiello’s case; Project Safe Childhood coordinated federal, state, and local partners’ efforts to track, identify, locate, arrest, and prosecute persons exploiting children over the internet.
Both federal and state laws prohibit possession, distribution, and production of child sexual abuse material. As stated by the U.S. Department of Justice, anyone found guilty of receiving or possessing CSAM faces a minimum term of imprisonment, a large fine, and a lengthy term of supervised release.
The FBI has stated that crimes against children have significant and long-lasting consequences for the victims, and frequently utilize advanced and complex networks of users on the internet in order to facilitate the crime.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force works to disrupt these networks used to exploit children online or otherwise and to rescue children in need of assistance.
This is part of a concerted international effort, as seen in the recent crackdown by UK authorities on child exploitation rings operating on encrypted dark web platforms, demonstrating a global front against these hidden crimes.
Community and Department Response
When Aiello’s arrest was first announced in May 2025, Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said the allegations ran “counter to every value of the Gloucester Police Department.” The department has completely cooperated with federal authorities.
Aiello was put on administrative leave at the beginning of an investigation, but resigned before any formal disciplinary action could take place.
Both community members and officials have expressed concern that a law enforcement officer committing these crimes breaches public trust. Restoring public trust in law enforcement remains a top priority for community leaders and Massachusetts agencies overseeing Police Officer Standards and Training (POST), which have the authority to certify officers and suspend certification for criminal misconduct.
