Former Youth Camp Leader Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Transportation of Child Pornography

TRENTON, NJ—A Toms River, N.J., man who ran a private military academy for youths was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for transportation of child pornography over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Steven T. Baryla, 29, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano to one count of an Indictment charging him with transportation of child pornography. Judge Pisano also imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Baryla admitted that in June 2009, he possessed images of child pornography and shared them over the Internet. At that time, Baryla served as the president of the Cedar Bridge Military Academy in Toms River, which was a private non-profit organization serving youths interested in military-style training. Baryla acknowledged that among the images of child pornography were depictions of prepubescent minors and portrayals of sadistic conduct or other depictions of violence to children.

As part of his guilty plea, Baryla agreed to forfeit computers and external hard drives which he used to commit the offense.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Pisano sentenced Baryla to five years of supervised release. Baryla is also required to register as a sex offender.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Cyber Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward; the Beachwood Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Cairns; and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

Defense counsel: Stephen L. Willis Esq., Toms River, N.J.