New Jersey Doctor Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

NEWARK—Rocco Martino, 43, of South Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for making available images and videos of prepubescent children being sexually abused—sometimes violently—to others over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Fishman announced.

Martino, a doctor who recently practiced internal and sports medicine in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to an information charging him with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Williams H. Walls, who also imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

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

Martino admitted that he 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. Martino admitted that his offerings included images of numerous children younger than 12 and depictions of sadistic and violent conduct. The images downloaded by federal investigators and found on Martino’s computer included pictures of very young children being restrained and sexually abused.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Walls sentenced Martino to serve seven years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $20,000 fine. As part of his guilty plea, Martino 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.

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; detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; and the South Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief James M. Chelel, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney José R. Almonte of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.