Baker: Danvers Child Pornography Case Highlights Need for Dangerousness Bill

Colin A. Young

Gov. Charlie Baker highlighted coverage of a Danvers man accused of having a secret room filled with child pornography on Friday as the latest reason he is making a renewed push to convince lawmakers to update how criminal suspects are declared dangerous. Mark Ternullo, 68, was arraigned Thursday in Salem District Court on one count of possession of child pornography.

Boston 25 reported that a contractor found a secret room in Ternullo’s apartment that contained boxes with hundreds of images of child porn. The judge set bail for Ternullo at $10,000.

“It’s simple: Anyone arrested for having a secret room filled with child pornography should be kept away from the public and especially kids,” Baker said in a statement. He tweeted a similar sentiment. “But current law doesn’t allow a judge to hold someone charged with possession of child pornography. Our bill would change that by expanding the list of offenses that are grounds for a dangerousness hearing, giving judges the ability to hold behind bars people charged with heinous crimes like child pornography.”

The governor has filed a “dangerousness bill” in each of the last two sessions but legislative Democrats have never taken it up for a vote. The bill (H 4290) would allow judges to consider more than just the specific charges before them when making a decision to release a defendant, expand the list of offenses that can be used to hold a defendant as a dangerous person before their trial, and would permit prosecutors to seek a dangerousness hearing at any point in a criminal proceeding, not just at the outset.

“As this case demonstrates, it is time we update our laws to better protect the public, and we hope the Legislature will join us in making these reforms,” Baker said.