An Essex County man today admitted using a web-based application to distribute multiple explicit images and videos of minors, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Mauricio Calderon, 51, of Belleville, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of distribution of explicit images of minors.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between March 2020 and April 10, 2020, Calderon used an encrypted, internet-based application to distribute multiple graphic videos depicting the explicit assault of minors.
During the course of the investigation, Calderon publicly posted multiple videos depicting the explicit abuse of minors, some of which featured infants and toddlers, in a chatroom and also sent links that redirected to web pages containing explicit images of minors.
Law enforcement also discovered numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse on Calderon’s electronic devices when he was arrested at his home in September 2020.