Massachusetts State Police arrested and charged a Revere sex offender Wednesday after discovering hundreds of child sexual abuse images on his phone, according to the department.
Troopers have charged 45-year-old Kenneth Higgins with possession of child pornography and possession of child pornography, third offense, state police said in a press release. Higgins is a Level 2 sex offender — meaning authorities believe he poses a moderate danger risk to the community — and was on probation following a prison sentence on a prior child pornography possession conviction when he was arrested.
Troopers began investigating Higgins after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received an online tip from Yahoo, state police said. The tip included the IP address of someone who had accessed child sexual abuse images, and NCMEC referred the tip to Massachusetts State Police.
Using information from the tip, troopers were able to obtain a search warrant for Higgins’ Revere Beach Parkway apartment and execute it early Wednesday morning, state police said. Troopers confiscated Higgins’ phone and retrieved his memory card as authorized by the warrant despite his refusal to provide his passcode.
Troopers found hundreds of child sexual abuse images and videos on the memory card from Higgins’ phone and promptly arrested him, state police said. He was then arraigned in Chelsea District Court and held without bail based on the accusation that he violated the terms of his probation by reoffending.
Troopers also executed a separate search warrant at a Chelsea apartment belonging to Higgins’ friend Wednesday morning as part of the same investigation, state police said. Several of their electronic devices were seized, and they may also face charges.
