An East Windsor man is among 16 people arrested in “Operation Safeguard,” a joint operation by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and ICE Homeland Security Investigations that targeted offenders who used an online file-sharing network to download and distribute child pornography, including videos of young children being raped.
All 16 defendants were charged with second-degree distribution of child pornography, which carries a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison, and third-degree possession of child pornography, which carries a sentence of three to five years in prison. The arrests were made between Feb. 10 and March 31.
Christian Martinez-Gonzalez, 34, of East Windsor, was arrested and charged March 7. His bail was set at $50,000.
“These defendants come from all walks of life, but they allegedly share a depraved desire to see children being raped and sexually exploited,” said acting Attorney General Robert Lougy. “By viewing and distributing child pornography, particularly the child rape videos targeted in this operation, these offenders directly motivate and put themselves in league with the predators who torture children to create these repulsive materials. Through sweeps like Operation Safeguard, we send a powerful message that these are very serious crimes and we are determined to put those who commit them behind bars.”
The 16 defendants range in age from 17 to 72. All of them are charged under New Jersey’s strict 2013 child pornography law, which enhanced the penalties for those who possess, distribute or manufacture child pornography. If convicted of distributing 25 or more computer files of child pornography – which includes simply having that number of files in a shared folder on their computers, available for other users to download – the defendants will face a mandatory minimum state prison sentence of five years without possibility of parole. Any defendant found to have possessed 100 or more files of child pornography on his computer would face a presumptive sentence of three to five years in state prison.
All 16 of the defendants are charged with distribution of child pornography for allegedly using Internet file-sharing software to make files containing child pornography readily available for others to download from a “shared folder” on their computers. Investigators allegedly downloaded files of child pornography from shared folders on the computers of each of the defendants during the investigation.
During Operation Safeguard, special agents of HSI and detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice and New Jersey State Police monitored several online file-sharing networks that are popular with offenders who download and trade child pornography. Using advanced technology, the investigators searched for telltale digital “fingerprints” of known child pornography, as well as search terms used by those who download and share child pornography. Through these and other methods, they identified New Jersey residents who were downloading child pornography and making child pornography available to others in “shared folders” on their computers.
Also among those arrested and charged is Robert Kunert, 22, of Hamilton, Mercer County. He allegedly possessed approximately 298 files of child pornography in a shared folder on his computer. He was arrested March 31 and charged with possession of 100 or more files of child pornography and distribution of 25 or more files of child pornography. Bail was set at $52,000.
