A man from Stockholm NJ, part of Hardyston Township in Sussex County, was sentenced for downloading and distributing child pornography.
According to prosecutors, a police investigation in 2013 resulted in detectives finding child pornography on the 26-year-old man’s computer. Police seized the computer and all related equipment.
The 26-year-old man later pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child.
At sentencing in Sussex County Superior Court in Newton NJ, the defendant was ordered to serve 63 days in a home detention program. He will also be placed on probation for 3 years; any slipup during that time could lead to him being sent to state prison.
The defendant will also be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and undergo supervision for life. Beyond that, he was also ordered to forfeit his seized computer equipment.
New Jersey prosecutors tend to take child endangerment charges that stem from the possession of child pornography very seriously. That’s because minors are put at great risk when individuals like the suspect create a demand for sexual abuse and victimization.
As a result of his plea deal, the defendant avoided the most serious penalties for a conviction. Had the suspect gone to trial and been convicted of third degree endangering the welfare of a child, he could have been sentenced to as many as 5 years in NJ State Prison.
For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “Sussex Man Who Had Child Pornography Sentenced to 63 Days Home Detention.”