Former Massachusetts State Police captain indicted for allegedly sending and receiving inappropriate images

A retired detective captain with the Massachusetts State Police has been indicted in connection with allegedly possessing child pornography, Attorney General Maura Healey announced.

62-year-old Francis Hart of Amherst was indicted today by a Hampshire County Grand Jury on the charges of Dissemination of Child Pornography (1 count) and Possession Child Pornography (7 counts). Hart will be arraigned on the charges in Hampshire Superior Court at a later date.

State Police assigned to the Cyber Crimes Unit and the AG’s Office began an investigation in January 2021 after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an email address registered to Hart had uploaded a file containing numerous images of suspected child pornography. The investigation also revealed that in addition to possessing images, Hart sent images of alleged child pornography to another iPhone user in another state.

Hart was arrested in August 2021 at his Amherst residence. During the execution of a search warrant, police seized various digital devices including two different desktop computers, external hard drives and an iPhone. Subsequent investigation of the devices revealed alleged images of child pornography.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Madge of AG Healey’s Criminal Bureau and Special Assistant Attorney General Stephanie Jimenez, with assistance from Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, Massachusetts State Police Cyber Crimes and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Amherst Police, and the AG’s Digital Evidence Laboratory.