Holyoke Man Sentenced for Child Pornography

Defendant possessed manual entitled “How to Practice Child Love,” and videos of rapes of girls as young as five-years-old

BOSTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for receiving child pornography.

Edward F. Dupont, 75, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to eight years in prison and seven years of supervised release. In January 2018, Dupont pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Dupont was arrested in August 2015 and has been detained since.

On June 23, 2015, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Dupont’s residence where they seized a computer containing over 16,000 images and 35 videos of child pornography. Four of the videos depicted the rapes of girls as young as five-years-old.

Dupont also possessed a 170-page manual entitled, “How to Practice Child Love.” The manual is a professionally designed document that presents itself as “an education and a step-by-step guide for adults to engage and practice sexual relationships with children.” The manual states: “You do not even need to leave your own house or lot to meet new children and child love candidates. If you are bound to stay at your house, and preferably living alone, you can actually get the kids all the way to your front door – and even inside. This might even be a very safe option too – since as soon as you get the kids inside, no one can watch your activities from outside.”

During the search, Dupont waived his Miranda rights and stated that he has a sexual interest in young children; he has used his computer to access child pornography sites and to download child pornography images and videos; and he possessed child pornography on his home computer.

Though Dupont denied ever having sexual contact with children, he admitted that neighborhood children came over to play in his backyard and in his basement. He had also given copies of his house keys to the neighbors so that their children could come over any time they wanted, and he maintained a cupboard with games for the children to play.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.