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Swanzey Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

David MacLean, 78, admitted in federal court to failing to register online identifiers as required by SORNA.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 27, 2026, 4:41 p.m. ET
CONCORD – David MacLean, 78, of Swanzey, guilty on August 27, 2026, in U.S. District Court to one count of failing to register as a sex offender, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 3, 2026. Court documents state that MacLean was required to register under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) due to a 2018 conviction for possessing child sex abuse material. After his release from prison in January 2021, he registered in November 2021, listing only one online identifier. A subsequent investigation found he had unregistered accounts on Facebook, X, and Reddit, and that he had used an AI image generator to create an AI CSAM image, which he later deleted. Investigators also found a CSAM video in the cache data of his Reddit application. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting. The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006.

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  1. Version 127 Aug 2026, 20:41current

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