Milford Man Pleads Guilty To Transporting Child Pornography

MILFORD, MA — A 22-year-old in Milford pleaded guilty to federal charges involving child sex abuse material, federal prosecutors said.

Joao Carlos Tavares Da Silva, a Brazilian citizen living in Milford, pleaded guilty in Worcester federal court on Tuesday to transportation and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 29, 2027.

Federal prosecutors said Tavares Da Silva produced images depicting the sexual exploitation of an identified minor in Brazil before transporting them to the U.S. on a mobile phone when he moved to Massachusetts in May 2025.

Authorities seized several electronic devices while searching his Milford home and found the images on one of them, prosecutors said. Prosecutors arrested and charged Tavares Da Silva in January.

Tavares Da Silva also has an outstanding warrant in Brazil on charges including statutory rape and the production and sale of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children or adolescents, prosecutors said.

The transportation charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Both charges also provide for up to lifetime supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Tavares Da Silva is subject to deportation after completing any sentence imposed, according to the USAO.

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