Mass. man sentenced to prison after leaving his phone on MBTA train

An Everett man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing child sex abuse materials when his phone was found on an MBTA train.

Robert Sokolowski, 52, was sentenced on Wednesday in federal court. He pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count each of possession of CSAM, distribution of CSAM and receipt of CSAM.

In September 2024, Sokolowski lost his phone on a Green Line trolley. An MBTA employee attempted to identify its owner and discovered images of CSAM on the phone, according to prosecutors.

Investigators found hundreds of images and videos of CSAM, some depicting children as young as toddlers, authorities said.

Sokolowski had two previous federal convictions for CSAM offenses . In 2005 he was sentenced to 46 months in prison; after being released, he was arrested again in 2013 and sentenced to 150 months.

Sokolowski had been out of prison on the most recent charges for seven months when he lost his phone and was arrested again.

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