By: Richard L. Smith
A New Jersey man has admitted to possessing and distributing explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Thursday.
Accoridng to federal officials, William Mickel, 70, of Lake Hopatcong pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court.
He was indicted on charges of one count of distribution of explicit images of minors and one count of possession of explicit images of minors.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from February 2022 through April 2022, Mickel, who was employed by Boy Scout camps in New Jersey, distributed and possessed explicit images and videos of minors.
He used email accounts to distribute these materials and stored hundreds of images and videos on electronic devices in his home.
Some of the videos in Mickel’s possession depicted children who were surreptitiously recorded using bathrooms in the Boy Scout camps where Mickel worked.
The charge of distribution of explicit images of minors carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
The charge of possession of explicit images of minors carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2024.