Two Men Sentenced in Separate Child Exploitation and Assault Cases

A former Massachusetts National Guardsman received a prison term for child pornography offenses, while an Army soldier was sentenced for assaulting a child, according to conflicting reports.

3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 20, 2026, 3:41 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 24, 2026, 6:01 p.m. ET

On August 20, 2026, two separate sentencings were announced in cases involving child exploitation and assault. In Boston, former Master Sergeant Nicholas Wells, 45, of the 102 Security Forces of the Massachusetts National Guard, was to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Wells pleaded guilty in September 2025 and was indicted in September 2024. The office reported that over 300 images and 100 videos depicting child pornography were found on his phone, and that he distributed over 70 videos, some involving infants. In a separate case, Spc. Baltazar E. Gonzalez, 27, was after the government claimed he repeatedly punched his 3-year-old son in the head and chest, used cocaine, drove drunk, and assaulted a police officer, as reported by military.com. The outlet reported a sentence of , while wcbm.com reported a sentence of 15 1/2 years followed by lifetime supervised release. The conflicting reports could not be reconciled. Additionally, Daniel Lara-Salazar, 33, was in a case involving sexual exploitation of a child, according to wcbm.com, which reported that he coerced a minor girl in Maryland into producing sexually explicit images and videos, and communicated with three other minor girls via Snapchat. The outlet reported a sentence of 15 1/2 years in prison and lifetime supervised release. The exact charges and sentences in these cases remain unclear due to conflicting reports.

Earlier reports

Aug 24, 2026, 5:55 p.m. ET
Former Massachusetts National Guardsman Sentenced to Over Six Years for Child Pornography Offenses
A former Master Sergeant of the 102 Security Forces of the Massachusetts National Guard was sentenced on August 20, 2026, in federal court in Boston for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Nicholas Wells, 45, of Sandwich, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 78 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Wells pleaded guilty in September 2025 to possession and distribution of child pornography. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wells engaged in chats on a messaging application in which he discussed his interest in minors and distributed videos depicting child pornography. Over 300 images and 100 videos depicting child pornography were located on his phone, and he distributed over 70 videos, some involving infants.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006.
Aug 20, 2026, 3:41 p.m. ETFirst report
Former Massachusetts National Guardsman Sentenced to Over Six Years for Child Pornography Offenses
A former Master Sergeant of the 102 Security Forces of the Massachusetts National Guard was sentenced on August 20, 2026, in federal court in Boston for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Nicholas Wells, 45, of Sandwich, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in September 2025 to possession and distribution of child pornography and was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024.
According to court records, Wells engaged in chats on a messaging application in which he discussed his interest in minors and distributed videos depicting child pornography. Over 300 images and 100 videos depicting child pornography were located on his phone. It was also determined that Wells distributed over 70 videos depicting child pornography, some of which involved infants.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Barnstable and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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