Massachusetts
Massachusetts Level 2 sex offender convicted of raping girls sentenced for child pornography
A Level 2 sex offender who was convicted of raping 7 and 8-year-old girls has been sentenced to prison after the feds busted him for child pornography.
Billerica man Eric Johnson, 51, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Thursday, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Level 2 sex offender — who was convicted in 1992 for aggravated felonious sexual assault of a child under 13 for raping two girls in New Hampshire — was caught possessing more than 5,000 files of child sexual abuse material.
Children’s clothing, mutilated dolls and diapers were also found at his home.
“Mr. Johnson is an extremely dangerous individual who has repeatedly demonstrated his predatory interest in children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. “He belongs in prison for a long time.
“The victims of child pornography are not abstractions or objects – they are real kids who experienced sexual exploitation in order for these pictures or images to be distributed and possessed,” Levy added. “Although today’s sentence cannot erase the ongoing pain endured by the victims from their traumatic abuse, the message about the severe consequences of possessing child pornography should be crystal clear.”
In early 2022, Johnson was identified as a user of a peer-to-peer internet network downloading child sexual abuse material. Police searches of his home resulted in the recovery of 25 electronic devices, including a laptop, hard drives and other electronic devices.
Multiple hard drives were found hidden next to Johnson’s bed — as well as hidden inside Johnson’s basement ceiling, shelves, cabinets, and in an ammunition can located in a crawl space at the residence. The laptop at the time was running a program to delete files from a hard drive, and was about 56% complete before being disabled by a forensic examiner.
Police also found two children’s backpacks from under his bed that contained various children’s clothing, including: bathing suits and a nightgown; a bag of children’s costumes; children’s diapers; and at least three child-sized dolls. What appeared to be bodily fluids were found in at least two of the dolls, police said.
A forensic exam revealed more than 5,000 files depicting child pornography on seven of the devices, including images and video files depicting the sexual abuse and rape of minor victims as young as infants and toddlers.
Many other disturbing items were also located on the devices, including images and videos of bestiality, photos of women’s deceased bodies, as well as videos of Johnson engaging in sexual acts with dolls.
“This lifetime sex offender admitted to amassing thousands of images of babies, toddlers, and children suffering horrific sexual abuse, and today’s sentence reflects the severity and depravity of his crime,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division.
“Those photos and videos represent unimaginable pain forced upon utterly vulnerable victims, some too young to walk or talk,” Cohen added. “It’s cases like this that drive the FBI and our partners, as we work to protect the children in our communities from predators like Eric Johnson.”
In addition to the 10 years in prison, Johnson was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Johnson was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $38,000.
Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography earlier this year. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in February 2022.
Massachusetts
A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store
Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.
And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.
The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.
- This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe
Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.
Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.
Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.
- ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million
But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.
Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.
Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees
Massachusetts
Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh
It swims in the family.
A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.
On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.
Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.
IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.
“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.
The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.
According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.
“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.
Massachusetts
Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute
A 19-year-old Massachusetts man was seriously injured after he was thrown from a moving vehicle he had grabbed onto during a domestic dispute Thursday morning.
Duxbury police said they responded to a report of an injured male who might have been struck by a vehicle on Chandler Street around 5:22 a.m. and found a 19-year-old Pembroke man lying in the roadway with serious injuries.
Through interviews with witnesses, officers learned that the man had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Chandler Street to confront her current boyfriend. An altercation ensued, during which police said the 19-year-old appears to have jumped on the hood of a vehicle and was then thrown from the moving vehicle.
The incident remains under investigation, police said. At this time, they said no charges have been filed.
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