The Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office has announced that they have arrested and charged a Lebanon Township man with possession of child pornography. The defendant, a seventy (70) year old male, was taken into custody Thursday following what appears to be a rather lengthy investigation by multiple agencies, including the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program. Apparently local authorities were initially tipped off after they received several cyber-tips from various different jurisdictions through this task force. Once the tips were received in August, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim Unit began their investigation and they were eventually assisted by the following agencies, the New Jersey State Police, the Washington Station and Canine North Unit, the Town of Clinton Police Department as well as the Lebanon Township Police Department.
Possession of Child Pornography Charges Issued in Hunterdon County
The defendant was ultimately arrested and charged with one count of possession of child pornography in the third degree. If the defendant was ultimately released upon being processed, it is more likely than not, the release was premised upon several special conditions being imposed, one being the prohibition of internet capable devises. His first scheduled court appearance will probably be conducted at his Central Judicial Processing Hearing. The case will then proceed through traditional court proceedings. If convicted of this charge, the number of imagines / videos will play a strong role in dictating the defendant potential sentence, which could be up to five years in a State Prison. For more information on possession of child pornography charges, please checkout our practice series on endangering the welfare of a child, which is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4.
Charged with Distributing Child Pornography in Hunterdon County?
Typically with these types of charges (possession of child pornography) the County Prosecutor’s Office will presumable obtain a search warrant and seize several internet capable devices from the individual at the time of their arrest. Those devices will normally be thoroughly searched in order to make sure that the individual was not distributing child pornography as well. Distribution of child pornography is a second degree felony offense, a conviction for which carries with it not only a mandatory State Prison sentence of up to ten years but Megan’s Law Registry as well. For more information on distributing child pornography charges in New Jersey, please click the link.
Facing an Endangering the Welfare of a Child Charge out of Flemington NJ?
As one would imagine, the County Prosecutor’s offices throughout the State have no tolerance for child pornography charges. Task force programs like referenced above have been teaming up with local authorities throughout the world in an effort to better combat the sexual exploitation of children. If you or a loved one has unfortunately found yourself being charged with this type of offense, we strongly urge that you speak to an attorney as soon as possible. Understanding your rights and your options throughout this unimaginably stressful situation is absolutely crucial, especially if you want to mount a successful defense. If you would like to speak to one of the attorneys at Keith Oliver Criminal Law, please contact our office directly at 908-533-1064. One of our attorneys would be glad to go over the specifics of your case and formulate a game plan that works best to combat these serious charges. We serve all of Hunterdon and Somerset County, including towns like Flemington, Somerville, Clinton, Readington, Raritan, Hillsborough, South Bound Brook and Bernards.
