David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that CARL G. KOPLIN, 55, of Tolland, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before Senior United States District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to one count of receipt of child pornography. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, a special agent with the Northern Virginia Resident Agency of the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation used a publicly available Internet file sharing program to download approximately 300 images and videos of child pornography from the shared directories of a user with an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was subsequently identified as belonging to a subscriber at KOPLIN’s residence in Tolland.

On July 9, 2010, federal agents searched KOPLIN’s home and seized a desktop computer, storage media and other computer components.  KOPLIN was arrested on that date after he admitted to agents that he used a file sharing program to trade images of child pornography, and that he was responsible for any child pornography found as a result of the search of his residence.

Subsequent forensic analysis of the seized items revealed thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography, totaling more than 800 gigabytes in size. 

Prior to his arrest, KOPLIN was employed as a family practice physician in Vernon. 

Judge Covello has scheduled sentencing for December 11, 2012, at which time KOPLIN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.

KOPLIN has been in home confinement under electronic monitoring by the U.S. Probation office since the date of his arrest.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ray Miller and Sarala V. Nagala.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment and on-line crimes against children.  The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies.  The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven.  For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.    

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov

 

 

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