A Keene man, Paul Baird, 45, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his involvement in producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe. In addition to the prison term, Baird will undergo 20 years of supervised release following his incarceration.
Baird had pleaded guilty in March 2025 to aiding and abetting the production of CSAM involving a minor female victim under the age of 12. “The defendant committed an appalling betrayal of trust by abusing a child in his care to produce sexually exploitative material,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. He added that the sentence reflects the severity of Baird’s crimes and prevents him from harming other children.
Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New England, emphasized the commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society and holding perpetrators accountable for such crimes. “Yesterday’s sentencing of Paul Baird underscores our staunch commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society,” he said.
Court documents revealed that on January 29, 2024, Baird engaged in illegal activities with a minor while babysitting her and produced explicit photographs shared on a dark website dedicated to CSAM.
At the time of his arrest, Baird worked as a bus driver for Student Transportation of America servicing the Contoocook Valley School District.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Keene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local resources.
