Man indicted on 17 counts of possessing, distributing child, infant sex abuse images

DOVER - A Strafford County grand jury handed down 17 indictments earlier this month that accuse a Rochester man of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse images, all of them extremely disturbing and graphic in nature, according to charging documents.

Each of the charges against John Wood, 24, of 616 Portland St., is a Class A felonies that carries a 10-20 year prison term.

The distribution counts allege that he knowingly "transferred a visual representation of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct, when he sent a digital image of (infants or children) to another user."

The images were sent over an online app called "Rando Chat," according to Wood's indictment.

Each count also carries the possibility of a $4,000 fine.

The seven indictments referring to possession of such images are said to have occurred between Dec. 16 and March 16; the distribution indictments refer to two offenses allegedly committed on June 17, one on June 6 and one on Dec. 18.

The Strafford County grand jury indictments were handed down on Oct. 15 and released on Tuesday.

And indictment is not an indication of guilt, rather than enough evidence has been presented to warrant moving forward to trial.