NORTH READING — A 68-year-old North Reading man has been arrested and charged with three counts of possession of child pornography following a joint investigation by local and federal law enforcement agencies.
Ralph E. Hannan III was taken into custody Friday by members of the North Reading Police Department’s Detective and Patrol Divisions, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
The arrest resulted from a proactive investigation into the online dissemination of child sexual abuse material through an internet-based file-sharing platform.
Detectives from the North Reading Police Department, with support from state and federal law enforcement partners, executed a search warrant at Hannan’s residence on Friday, April 18.
A forensic review of seized digital evidence allegedly uncovered more than 10,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Hannan is a registered Level II sex offender.
Following his arrest, Hannan was brought to Woburn District Court for arraignment.
The investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Massachusetts State Police, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
