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The former editor-in-chief of a news website was found with hundreds of images and videos showing child sex abuse, including at least one video he produced himself, prosecutors in western Massachusetts said this week.
Slade Sohmer, the former editor of The Recount, was arraigned in Southern Berkshire District Court Monday on two counts of possessing child pornography and two counts of dimensions of child pornography, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
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The investigation into the East Otis resident was ongoing, with more charges anticipated, prosecutors said, citing the extremely large amount of pornographic material found on devices seized from Sohmer on Oct. 17. That was prompted by a tip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Investigators uncovered messages on Sohmer's Telegram, an encrypted app, that involved discussions, some in graphic detail, of luring, kidnapping and raping children, prosecutors said. They noted that investigators believe there are more images of child sexual abuse on messaging apps connected to Sohmer, including his Telegram and Snapchat.
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Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
At his hearing, a judge set Sohmer's bail amount at $100,000 and ordered he not access the internet, not have contact with any children and notify probation officers of his location, prosecutors said.
It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to the charges.
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The Recount is a news video aggregation site focused largely on politics. It was acquired last month by The News Movement, a Gen Z-focused media group.
"Slade Sohmer is no longer Editor-In-Chief of The Recount following a company restructure exercise in early October to focus on our editorial and commercial plans," a representative for The News Movement said in an email.
