Evergreen Reporter

A man from Colebrook, New Hampshire, Joshua Hartness, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of possessing child sexual abuse materials. The indictment was returned on December 19, 2024. Hartness, aged 45, pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on December 20, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Following the arraignment, Judge Doyle ordered Hartness's release under certain conditions.

The indictment alleges that Hartness possessed one or more images of child sexual abuse materials between May 22 and August 26 in 2022. The United States Attorney’s Office clarified that an indictment consists of allegations only and emphasized that "Hartness is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty." If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. However, any actual sentence would be determined by the District Court based on advisory guidelines and statutory factors.

Assistant United States Attorney Colin Owyang is prosecuting the case while Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson represents Hartness.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. It involves coordination among U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.

For additional details about Project Safe Childhood, information can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.