Crime & Safety
Cambridge Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Possession
Police said Robert Wharton, 31, used the messaging app Kik to transmit funds to someone in exchange for access to child pornography.
CAMBRIDGE, MA — A Cambridge man on Thursday pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to child pornography offenses.
Robert Wharton, 31, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography and possessing child pornography, according to United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and Joseph Bonavolonta of the FBI's Boston division. Wharton was arrested July 30.
Federal investigators said Wharton used the Kik messaging application to transmit funds to someone in exchange for access to child pornography.
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During a search of Wharton’s apartment, police said they found incriminating Kik messages and images and videos depicting naked children on his phone. They said they found a pornographic video depicting a child performing oral sex on an adult.
Wharton faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on both charges.
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Cambridge, Arlington, Newton and Revere police investigated the case.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for April 2.
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