C.L Martin 
“BOSTON – A Texas man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to advertising child pornography on the dark web.
Neal Grubert, 35, of Bertram, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of advertising child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathanial M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2023. Grubert was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021.
In May 2020, Swedish law enforcement authorities determined that a Swedish citizen was producing images and videos of himself sexually abusing his three-year-old niece and distributing them on various dark websites. The investigation identified Grubert as an administrator of one of the websites. Following the Swedish individual’s arrest, a forensic examination of their phone revealed several images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including images and videos in which Grubert’s face could be seen watching the exploitation as it happened via webcam while logged onto this dark website. Specifically, Grubert was masturbating while directing the Swedish individual how to molest his niece. A subsequent undercover investigation by federal law enforcement located images and a video uploaded and published by Grubert in his role as an administrator on the dark website.
The other individual pleaded guilty to charges in Sweden and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The charge of advertising child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Swedish Police Authority; Swedish National Operations Department; Swedish National IT Crime Centre; Swedish Prosecution Authority; Swedish National Public Prosecution Department; and Swedish National Unit against Organized Crime. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm and Benjamin Tolkoff of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood
