PORTLAND, Maine — A former school janitor made his first appearance Friday in U.S. District Court on child pornography charges.
Joseph Finocchiaro, 61, of Bath is charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Finocchiaro told police Thursday when he was arrested that he was allowed to retire early from a Massachusetts school district after he printed images of young children from a computer owned by the town for which he worked, according to a court affidavit.
Finocchiaro is temporarily being held without bail until a detention hearing can be held next week, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The investigation that led to his arrest began in 2010 with the U.S. Postal Service’s investigation into International Company’s website, which was the subject of more than 20 complaints to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber TipLine regarding the sale of child pornography, according to court documents.
Finocchiaro allegedly purchased at least 16 DVDs on five different occasions from the firm, which is located outside the U.S., between November 2010 and April 2011. He paid more than $400 for the DVDs, according to court documents.
During the execution of a search warrant at Finocchiaro’s home Thursday, investigators found the DVDs from the International Company, the affidavit said.
Police also found printed images of naked and partially naked children ranging in age from toddlers to about 15 years of age, according to court documents. The pictures had been arranged in a collage.
“Finocchiaro stated he previously was employed as a janitor for a school department in Massachusetts,” the affidavit said. “According to Finocchiaro, he was allowed to retire early due to an issue concerning him printing images of young children — similar to the collection on his collage — from a computer owned by the town for which he worked.”
Court documents do not name where in Massachusetts Finocchiaro worked or lived.
If convicted, he faces a minimum of five years and not more than 20 years on the receipt of child pornography charge. On the possession charge, he faces up to 10 years in prison. He also could be fined up to $250,000 on each charge if convicted.
How can any school administrator let someone retire after finding out an employee was using school computers for this reason. This person who did this is as guilty asthe person committing the crime of child pornography. Both of these perps should be locked up for a long time! I had to say perps because if I said what was really on my mind I would be barred from the comment section!
Yeah lets put the camra company, his ISP, and everyone he knew in jail too.
Considering the society we have left for today’s youngsters, we have almost no right to be “outraged’ at anything. We have squandered that right by being self-absorbed, short-sighted, and to concerned with material goods.
Being this is a federal case he will not get off lightly. I doubt he will get the entire 20 years but he is going to serve many years behind bars.
Why did they release his name? It may create harm to him. Why aren’t to police protecting him like they are doing to the Johns visting prositutes
Really? Are you truly that ignorant of a person? I don’t think you are that ignorant but I’m starting to wonder.
use that sarcasm filter kevin…….
Sadly he is not being sarcastic, at all.
Of course I am Kevin, I was making fun of how people are treated differently. You for one Kevin for some reason don’t want the names of the Johns in the prositution case realeased yet it is OK to name who a janitor is..
I have stated many times in my comments I want the names released.
Thanks.it was sarcasm. kevins angry about a different story and doesn’t want them realeasing the names of criminals, He picks and chooses whos names should be realeased by how much money they have.
This article is about child pornography and your first concern is with the creepy janitor?
If he was a City council member a banker or a business owner would you use the word creepy? You don’t seem to like janitors I see.. are they all creepy? Who do think cleans public places, don’t answer that I know creepy janitors… Of course they arrested the man and rightfully so, and he will spend years in jail where he belongs. My comment wasn’t about the crime it was about how the treat criminals when they are poor and if they are rich.
Yes, I wouldn’t care if it was a city council member, banker, or anyone else. In this instance, it just happened to be a janitor. And I have nothing against janitors. I went to a small high school where we all knew each other. Our janitor was the kindest man I ever met, and we all loved him and treated him with respect. Coming from a poverty-stricken home myself, I never looked down my nose at anyone. You need to get that big chip off your shoulder.
Instead of polishing the floors he was polishing his Bishop!!
It is a travesty that he was allowed to retire early instead of being terminated in disgrace. What is wrong with people who allow this sort of thing to continue?
My Old Baseball Coach…..
“Allowed to retire after printing images of young children on a school computer…” Hmm, didn’t raise an alarm back then, just let a SCHOOL JANITOR wander off with a retirement package? That don’t sound okay at all…