Press Release  Clinton Man Indicted in Connection with Disseminating and Exchanging Child Pornography with Juveniles

Boston —  A Clinton man has been indicted in connection with using social media to pose as a teenage girl and requesting and exchanging pornographic images with at least three juvenile boys, according to Attorney General Maura Healey.

Nicholas Azud, age 21, of Clinton, was indicted Monday by a Statewide Grand Jury on charges of Possession of Child Pornography (one count), Disseminating Matter Harmful to a Minor (three counts),  and Trafficking of Persons Under 18 for Sexual Servitude (three counts). He will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court at a later date.

Azud was arrested Oct. 15, 2015 by State Police assigned to the AG's Office with assistance from Clinton Police and was later arraigned in Clinton District Court. He has been held on $100,000 cash bail. 

State Police assigned to the AG’s Office began an investigation in May 2015 after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about pornographic images of children that were uploaded to an online storage system. Authorities traced the uploaded images to Azud’s residence in Clinton.

On Oct. 15, 2015 State Police assigned to the AG’s Office obtained and executed a search warrant authorizing the search of all computers, phones, tablets and storage devices found in Azud’s Clinton residence. Subsequent investigation of devices seized revealed alleged images and videos of child pornography. Following Azud’s arrest, State Police obtained and executed a search warrant for the social media accounts and email accounts Azud had created.

Through an investigation, authorities determined Azud allegedly contacted children under the age of 18 using fictitious social media profiles he had created for the purpose of obtaining pornographic images of them. Authorities determined that Azud posed as a teenage girl and “friended” young boys through the online accounts. He would then offer to send pornographic images of the girls he was pretending to be in exchange for pornographic images of them. 

The AG’s Office asks that anyone who believes they may be a victim of Azud’s crimes or has additional information to contact Victim Witness Advocate John Malone at 617-727-2890.

The investigation is ongoing. These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Allyson Portney, of AG Healey’s Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crimes Division, with assistance from Victim Witness Advocate John Malone and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being investigated by State Police assigned to the AG’s Office and investigators from the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab.

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