Former Youth Camp Leader Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography

TRENTON, NJ—A Toms River, N.J., man who ran a private military academy for youths pleaded guilty today to transportation of child pornography over the Internet, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Steven T. Baryla, 29, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to one count of an Indictment charging him with transportation of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made during Baryla’s guilty plea proceeding:

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.

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

The count to which Baryla pleaded guilty carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison. The count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and a mandatory minimum term of five years of supervised release. Baryla is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2011.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Franklin Township Residence Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward, the Beachwood Police Department, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

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

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Defense counsel: David T. Schlendorf, Esq., Toms River, N.J.