Indictments Returned Against Probation Officer in Child Exploitation Case
BOSTON, March 24, 2022— A probation officer previously arraigned on child exploitation charges has been indicted on new offenses as the result of a lengthy investigation, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden announce.
MICHAEL O’REILLY of West Roxbury will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court next month on indictments charging trafficking a person for sexual servitude for enticing a minor to create and send him sexual images and videos, distribution of child sexual abuse materials (also referred to as child pornography), dissemination of a matter harmful to a minor, posing a child in a state of nudity, and three counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials. He was previously charged in the West Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court for several of those offenses. The indictments, returned Wednesday, move his case to Suffolk Superior Court, the proper court of jurisdiction for serious felony offenses.
O’Reilly has worked as a probation officer in Brookline District Court and served as an umpire and umpire coordinator for Parkway Little League in West Roxbury.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing. That a public servant who held a position of trust in the community stands accused of exploiting children makes this case even more concerning,” District Attorney Hayden said. “I would like to thank all of our partners, locally, federally, and across jurisdictions, who have worked to hold this individual accountable.”
In October 2021, the Boston Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alleging that an individual, later identified as O’Reilly, had shared sexual abuse material on the messenger app KIK, prompting an investigation led by detectives assigned to the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and Human Trafficking Unit with assistance from members of Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking and Exploitation Unit. Police executed a search warrant at his home and electronics belonging to him that contained child sexual abuse material.
The investigation continued following O’Reilly’s arrest, including the execution of a search warrant of his KIK account. That search revealed that O’Reilly had an ongoing relationship with a minor female in Iowa. The relationship was memorialized in sexual images, videos, and audio files exchanged between the two, include those in which O’Reilly instructed the victim to create and share sexual images and videos. Many of the video files appear to have been recorded inside the Brookline District Court Probation Department. He is charged with human trafficking for enticing the minor to create sexual materials.
While the victims and witnesses of any crime should call 911 in an emergency, there are additional resources available to report suspected crimes against children. In Suffolk County, survivors of child abuse and exploitation and their non-offending caretakers can receive comprehensive services at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County. The CAC can be reached at 617-779-2146. Anyone who believes that a child in Massachusetts may be the victim of abuse can call the Department of Children and Families’ Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200. Those concerned that a child is being exploited online may report a Cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or www.cybertipline.com. Finally, if parents want help navigating online risks and how to discuss them with children and teens, District Attorney Hayden offers the Stop Block and Talk internet safety training program for caregivers and professionals. Information on the program and helpful resources can be found at http://www.suffolkdistrictattorney.com/stop-block-and-talk.
Cara Spencer is the assigned victim witness advocate. O’Reilly is expected to appear for arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court on April 4, 2022.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.