ASHLAND — A 47-year-old Ashland resident was arrested Thursday night following a months-long investigation into internet crimes against children, authorities announced.
Michael R. Ciccolella was taken into custody at approximately 8:45 p.m. on March 6 when law enforcement executed search and arrest warrants at his Spyglass Hill residence.
Ciccolella faces charges of possession of child pornography, distribution of obscene material and distribution of material depicting a nude child.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Ashland Chief of Police Cara Rossi said the arrest resulted from a collaborative effort between the Ashland Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit and Patrol Division, the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and members of the Metrowest Drug Taskforce.
The preliminary investigation indicates Ciccolella allegedly viewed and distributed sexually explicit images of minors between the ages of three and twelve using the online messaging applications Media Lab/Kik.
At his arraignment in Framingham District Court, Judge Michael Callahan ordered Ciccolella held on $500,000 bail with conditions including no unsupervised contact with children under 18, no internet use, and home confinement with GPS monitoring.
Multiple pieces of evidence were seized during the search for further analysis, according to authorities.
Ciccolella is employed in the Needham Public Schools.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
