A Morris County man was charged today with distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Federal officials said Mr. Anselmo Girimonte, 51, of Wharton, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of explicit images is minors.
He appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Dec. 27, 2021, through Jan. 17, 2022, Girimonte distributed material containing images and video files of unaged sexual abuse via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers.
Users must download the P2P program, which is widely available for free on the Internet.
The program allows the user to place files into a designated “shared” folder on their hard drive, from which other P2P program users can then download those files directly to the “shared” folders of their own computers.
Users can then browse, search, select, and directly download those files. The program typically keeps a log of each downloaded event.
Law enforcement conducted an undercover online session to access the P2P program and to download nine video files containing child pornography from an IP address assigned to an internet service provider account associated with Girimonte’s residence.
These files included multiple visual depictions of prepubescent minors being sexually abused by adults.
The count 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.