By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
TRENTON — A Hightstown man will spend the next 17 and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography, according to officials.
According to an U. S. Attorney’s Office press release Tuesday, Fredy Arbito, 31, of Hightstown, was sentenced to 210 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of producing child pornography.
In the release, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said Mr. Arbito previously pleaded guilty to the charge in front of U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in federal court.
During the plea proceeding, Mr. Arbito admitted to contacting a young girl on an online video messaging system and “coerced” her into engaging in sexual acts that he then streamed live over the Internet.
He also admitted to having copies of the video on his computer.
The events took place between July 2011 and January 2013, according to case documents and statements in court.
Mr. Arbito was arrested by authorities in Panama and transported back to the United States, where he was arrested and charged by special agents of Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations unit in April 2013, according to the release.
He was initially charged with possession of child pornography, according to the release.
According to the release, Judge Shipp also sentenced Mr. Arbito to serve a lifetime of supervised release and required him to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the HSI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees, with the investigation.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton, and Mr. Arbito was represented by Jersey City attorney James R. Lisa, according to the release.

