New Jersey U.S. Attorney Highlights His Office's Commitment to Combating the Exploitation of Children

NEWARK, NJ—New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman today reiterated his office’s commitment to protect children and prosecute those who do them harm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is a leader in the prosecution of child exploitation cases, building cases not only against offenders within the District, but also initiating prosecutions that have nationwide and international reach.

On May 19, 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the Department of Justice’s first-ever National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention Conference in San Jose, Calif. The conference united law enforcement officials, advocates, investigators and prosecutors in the shared mission of keeping children out of harm’s way. Attorney General Holder said, “By bringing together so many law enforcement officials, advocates, investigators, and prosecutors—we are signaling that, when it comes to keeping our children from harm, a new era of collaboration has begun,” and noted that in recent years, a record number of offenders have been brought to justice.

U.S. Attorney Fishman stated: “Today, National Missing Children’s Day, provides an opportunity for reflection on the importance of protecting our children from predators. Child pornography isn’t entertainment—it is a permanent recording of the sexual abuse of children that re-injures its victims every time it is downloaded or watched. That anyone would prey on children in this way is appalling. Yet, these crimes are on the rise as modern technology affords easier access to children and communication among like-minded offenders. We have made a promise to criminals and concerned citizens: no matter how determined perpetrators are to abuse children, we are more determined to stop them.”

In pursuit of these cases, both within and outside of New Jersey, the office has worked closely with the FBI; the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI); the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service. In just this calendar year to date, those collaborative efforts have yielded significant results, some of which are summarized below. In addition to these joint initiatives, the office is pursuing public awareness and community outreach efforts in a comprehensive approach.

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey
Prosecution of Child Exploitation Cases Fiscal Year 2011 to Date

(Selected Cases)

U.S. v. Krosnick, Paul
On May 25, 2011, Paul Krosnick, an art teacher at a school for kindergarten through third-grade children in Cliffside Park, N.J., was arrested after law enforcement officers discovered alleged child pornography on a computer at his residence. Krosnick is charged by Complaint with one count of possession of child pornography.
(Press release: May 25, 2011)

U.S. v. Stern, Brian
On May 3, 2011, Brian Stern, a seventh grade science teacher and swim coach at a Pre-K through 12 independent day school in New Jersey, was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography. Stern, of Montclair, N.J., is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Over the last seven to eight years, Stern downloaded and shared 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. During a search of Stern’s residence in Montclair, federal investigators found videos and images on Stern’s computer of young children being restrained and sexually abused.
(Press release: May 3, 2011)

U.S. v. Olivieri, Richard
On April 26, 2011, Richard Olivieri, of Belleville, N.J., pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with four counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Olivieri admitted that on February 8, 2008, he e-mailed four images of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer in Ohio. Olivieri also admitted that between February 8, 2008, and July 30, 2008, he possessed over 600 images of child pornography on a computer at his residence. Olivieri agreed to forfeit the computer and computer accessories which he used to commit the offense. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
(Press release: April 26, 2011)

U.S. v. Killion, Brian
On April 19, 2011, Brian Killion appeared in federal court to face a criminal complaint charging him with manufacturing child pornography. Killion of Absecon, N.J., was arrested on July 14, 2010, by the N.J. State Police as a result of joint investigation by the FBI, N.J. State Police, and Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The federal Complaint is the result of additional investigation pursuant to that arrest. Killion is currently being held on the state charges. The federal charges were prompted by the execution of a state search warrant at Killion’s residence in July 2010. A child, identified in court documents as “W.J.,” came forward following the search to provide information to law enforcement. Computers seized from Killion’s residence revealed images of child pornography, including images of child pornography involving W.J.
(Press release: April 19, 2011)

U.S. v. McGuigan, Patrick
On March 25, 2011, Patrick McGuigan, of Burlington, N.J., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. McGuigan admitted to possessing over 600 images of child pornography on a computer located in his residence in June 2010. McGuigan acknowledged that among the images of child pornography that he possessed were images which depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct with other minors and adults, including material portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. The criminal images were brought to the attention of law enforcement by a family member of McGuigan’s who performed maintenance on his computer. As part of his guilty plea, McGuigan agreed to forfeit computers and computer accessories which he used to commit the offense.
(Press release: March 25, 2011)

U.S. v. Timm, Carl
On March 18, 2011, Carl Timm, of Bridgeton, N.J., was sentenced to 240 months in prison for traveling from New Jersey to New York for sexual conduct with a child and distributing child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Timm was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. In sentencing the defendant, the Judge took into consideration testimony presented at the sentencing hearing supporting a pattern of sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor. Timm will also be required to register as a sex offender. Timm was initially arrested in March 2010 by the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office as a result of an investigation by state and local authorities. On November 3, 2010, he subsequently pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with traveling with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a child and distribution of child pornography over the Internet. Timm admitted that between 2005 and 2006, he traveled from New Jersey to New York with a video camera for illicit sexual conduct with a child under the age of 12—identified in court documents as M.B. Timm also admitted that he shared child pornography over the Internet using a peer-to-peer file sharing program; he both downloaded child pornography to his own computer in Bridgeton and permitted others to download criminal images from his computer. Certain files were identified by file names which explicitly described their content.
(Press releases: March 18, 2011; November 3, 2010 and May 5, 2010)

U.S. v. Abney, Everett
On March 14, 2011, former Edison, N.J., Little League coach Everett Abney was sentenced to 37 months in prison for possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Abney was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Abney will also be required to register as a sex offender. Abney pleaded guilty to the offense on July 14, 2010. Abney was a coach for Edison’s Midtown National Little League at the time federal agents interviewed him at his home on February 4, 2009. During a review of Abney’s computer subsequent to the interview, law enforcement officers found several hundred images of child pornography, including multiple depictions of prepubescent minors. At his plea, Abney admitted that for approximately a year and a half, he regularly searched the Internet for images of child pornography, using sexually suggestive terms such as “pedo,” “teen,” and “youngteen,” to find the images. He downloaded the images from the Internet or through file-sharing software and saved them to his computer.
(Press releases: March 14, 2011 and July 14, 2010)

U.S. v. Dafferner, Peter
On March 9, 2011, Peter Dafferner, of Randolph, N.J., pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Dafferner possessed over 600 images of child pornography on a computer located in his residence in September 2009. Dafferner acknowledged that among the images of child pornography that he possessed were images which depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct with other minors and adults, as well as in sadistic and masochistic conduct. As part of his guilty plea, Dafferner agreed to forfeit computers and computer accessories which he used to commit the offense.
(Press release: March 9, 2011)

U.S. v. Morales, Hector
On March 7, 2011, Hector Morales, a former employee at the United States Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command in Picatinny Arsenal was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for possessing child pornography while on the Arsenal. In addition to the prison term, Morales was sentenced to five years of supervised release and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Morales, of East Stroudsburg, Pa., previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, admitting he searched for and viewed the images on a laptop issued to him by the Department of Defense (DOD). From August 2000 to June 2009, Morales was a civilian employee at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, N.J. Morales admitted that on June 29, 2009, he possessed at least three images of child pornography on his DOD-issued laptop computer and in his work station at the Arsenal. Morales was originally arrested on August 4, 2010.
(Press releases: March 7, 2011; October 7, 2010 and August 4, 2010)

U.S. v. Birdsall, Justin
Justin Birdsall, of Paramus, N.J., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Birdsall admitted to possessing over 600 images of child pornography on a computer located in his residence in December 2009. At that time, Birdsall resided with his parents and three younger siblings, ages 17, 13, and 8. Birdsall acknowledged that among the images of child pornography that he possessed were images which depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct with other minors and adults. As part of his guilty plea, Birdsall agreed to forfeit computers and computer accessories which he used to commit the offense.
(Press release: March 4, 2011)

U.S. v. Wrenshall, John
John Wrenshall was sentenced to 300 months in prison for inviting men to travel from around the world to his home in Thailand in order to sexually abuse young boys. In addition to the prison term, Wrenshall was sentenced to three years of supervised release. On May 5, 2010, Wrenshall pleaded guilty to three counts of the Indictment against him: conspiracy to engage in sex tourism, conspiracy to produce child pornography, and distribution of child pornography. Wrenshall admitted that from at least as early as January 2000, he arranged trips to his home during which U.S. citizens and others paid him to engage in anal sex, oral sex, and other sexual acts with Thai boys, some as young as 4 years old. Wrenshall’s customers were allowed to videotape and photograph their abuse. Wrenshall also personally victimized the boys in order to “train” them for his paying customers. Wrenshall, a Canadian citizen, was indicted by a federal grand jury in New Jersey on August 2008 after authorities learned that New Jersey resident Wayne Nelson Corliss had traveled to Wrenshall’s home to engage in illegal sexual acts with minor boys. Wrenshall was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on December 15, 2008 by London’s Metropolitan Police Service, with agents of ICE HSI, and was extradited to the United States on July 20, 2009 to face the New Jersey Indictment. Corliss, formerly of Union City, New Jersey, was the first of Wrenshall’s clients identified by law enforcement officers. In May 2008, Interpol released a sanitized photograph of a man sexually abusing young Thai boys to media outlets in the United States and abroad, and made a global appeal for information that could identify the offender depicted in the photo. Within 48 hours, Corliss was located and arrested at his home in Union City, New Jersey. Three of Wrenshall’s U.S. clients—Corliss, Burgess Lee Burgess, and Mitchell Kent Jackson—have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced on sex tourism and related charges. On November 16, 2009, Corliss was sentenced in the District of New Jersey to 20 years in prison. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey referred Burgess and Jackson to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Alabama for prosecution. Each were sentenced to 78 months in prison.
(Press releases: January 31, 2011; May 5, 2010; November 16, 2009 (Corliss); July 20, 2009; December 15, 2008; and October 28, 2008 (Corliss))

U.S. v. Corbett, Evan C.
On January 28, 2011, Evan C. Corbett, of Marlton, N.J., was sentenced to 180 months in prison for offering and advertising child pornography for distribution over the Internet through peer-to-peer file sharing networks. In addition to the prison term, Corbett was sentenced to five years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. Corbett was arrested in August 2009 as a result of an investigation by agents of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and pleaded guilty on May 26, 2010. Corbett admitted that from approximately July 2008 to May 2009, he shared child pornography over the Internet using peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Corbett admitted that he both downloaded child pornography to his own computers in Marlton and permitted others around the world to download child pornography from his computer. The files were identified by file names which explicitly advertised their content. Corbett was found to possess over 22,180 images of child pornography.
(Press releases: January 28, 2011 and May 26, 2010)

U.S. v. Freeman, Thomas
On January 14, 2011, Thomas Freeman, a former employee of a YMCA in Freehold, N.J., pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. Freeman, of Wall Township, N.J., pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with possession of child pornography, admitting he saved several hundred images of child pornography to his home computer. He was remanded to federal custody following the appearance. In July 2008, federal agents executed a search warrant at Freeman’s home. During the search, agents seized a desktop computer and various media storage devices belonging to Freeman. Subsequent forensic analysis of the computer revealed several hundred images of child pornography, including multiple images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
(Press release: January 14, 2011)

U.S. v. Baryla, Steven T.
On January 13, 2011, Steven T. Baryla, a Toms River, N.J., man who ran a private military academy for youths pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography over the Internet. Baryla admitted to possessing and transporting images of child pornography over the Internet in June 2009. At that time, Baryla served as the president of the Cedar Bridge Military Academy in Toms River, which was a private non-profit organization that served 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. Baryla was arrested on April 21, 2010.
(Press releases: January 13, 2011 and April 21, 2010)

U.S. v. Chadderton, Cristopher
On January 6, 2011, Cristopher Chadderton, an East Hanover, N.J., man was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Chadderton was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and to pay a $2,000 fine. Chadderton admitted that from June 26, 2008, to Nov. 4, 2008, he possessed about 150 images of child pornography that he downloaded using his two computers. Law enforcement officers seized the computers from his residence on Nov. 4, 2008, that contained numerous images of child pornography. The images found on the computers included multiple depictions of prepubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including minors under the age of 12. Chadderton admitted that he had been collecting child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing software.
(Press release: January 6, 2011)

U.S. v. Prawetz, Eric
On January 4, 2011, Eric Prawetz, of North Arlington, Bergen County, N.J., was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography. Prawetz, a former landscaper in Butler, Morris County, previously pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with distribution of child pornography. On January 11, 2010, law enforcement officers seized Prawetz’s laptop computer, which contained approximately 1,386 photographs and 232 videos of child pornography. The images and videos found on the computer included multiple depictions of prepubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct with other children and adults. Prawetz admitted that he had been collecting child pornography for approximately 12 years and that he distributed child pornography via peer-to-peer software and through his multiple email accounts.
(Press release: January 4, 2011)

U.S. v. Orr, Jr., Charles W.
On January 3, 2011, Charles W. Orr, Jr., of Atlantic County, N.J., was sentenced to144 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. Orr admitted that he possessed images of child pornography on a computer hard drive which law enforcement officers seized on January 23, 2009, from his home in Mays Landing. The images portrayed individuals under the age of 18 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including numerous minors under the age of 12. Orr possessed a total of approximately 667 images of child pornography. The images also portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.
(Press release: January 3, 2011)

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Press releases and related documents concerning the above cases can be found on the office’s website at: http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/news.html

As for the defendants with pending cases, the charges and allegations against them are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.