Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a Burlington County man was indicted today on charges that he allegedly had over one thousand files of explicit images of minors on his computer, including explicit images of minors that he manufactured, and that he allegedly used a file-sharing software to distribute them on the internet.
Authorities say Gregory Van Sciver, 62, of Lumberton, was indicted today by a state grand jury for the Distribution of 25 or more explicit images of minors (2nd degree), Storing or Maintaining 25 or more explicit images of minors Using a File-Sharing Program (2nd degree), Possession of 1,000 or More Items of explicit images of minors (2nd degree), Manufacturing explicit images of minors (2nd degree).
The charges stem from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in Newark. A special agent of HSI was investigating the distribution of explicit images of minors on a file-sharing network popular with sex offenders when he downloaded over 300 files of explicit images of minors from a shared folder at an IP address that was subsequently traced to Van Sciver.
Police arrested Van Sciver on April 3, 2018, when detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice and special agents of HSI, assisted by officers of the Lumberton Police Department, executed a search warrant at his residence. A full forensic examination of Van Sciver’s computer allegedly revealed over 1,000 files of explicit images of minors, including explicit images of minors Van Sciver manufactured.
Police say second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The charges of distributing – or storing or maintaining using a file-sharing program – more than 25 items of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum term of five years of parole ineligibility. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
According to officials, the indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr. in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Burlington County, where Van Sciver will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment.
Attorney General Grewal and Director Allende urged anyone with information about the distribution of explicit images of minors on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with minors via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of minors – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.