Berkeley Heights, New Jersey Doctor Charged with Possession of Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office December 29, 2010 |
NEWARK, NJ—A doctor practicing internal and sports medicine in Berkeley Heights, N.J., surrendered this morning to FBI agents for allegedly possessing child pornography, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Rocco Martino, 42, of South Orange, N.J., is charged by Complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He appeared this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court and was released on a $250,000 bond. As a condition of his bail, Martino will be subject to electronic monitoring.
According to the Complaint:
From at least November 2010 through December 2010, Martino downloaded and posted videos and images of child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing software—through which others had access to the material on a shared drive. The images downloaded by federal investigators and found on Martino’s computer included pictures of very young children being restrained and sexually abused.
The charge of possessing child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Innocent Images Unit, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark; detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino; and the South Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief James M. Chelel, with the investigation leading to the arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney José R. Almonte of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information which may be relevant to this case is encouraged to contact the Newark Division of the FBI at 973-792-3000.
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Defense counsel: Michael A. Baldassare, Esq., Newark