A Keene man, Paul Baird, 45, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his involvement in the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe delivered the sentence along with 20 years of supervised release following Baird’s guilty plea in March 2025 to aiding and abetting the production of CSAM.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack stated, “The defendant committed an appalling betrayal of trust by abusing a child in his care to produce sexually exploitative material.” He added that the sentence reflects the seriousness of Baird’s crimes and ensures he cannot harm other children. “This office has zero tolerance for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children,” McCormack emphasized.
Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in charge of HSI New England, commented on the sentencing: “Yesterday’s sentencing of Paul Baird underscores our staunch commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society.” He highlighted that such acts are a reminder of their critical work against child exploitation and affirmed continued collaboration with law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims.
Court documents revealed that on January 29, 2024, Baird engaged in illegal conduct with a minor female victim under his care for producing CSAM. He took explicit photographs and shared images on a dark website dedicated to CSAM. At his arrest time, Baird was employed as a bus driver by Student Transportation of America serving Contoocook Valley School District.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Keene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources across federal, state, and local levels.
