David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL MARTARANO, 34, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between June 2007 and July 2009, MARTARANO received and distributed images of child pornography.

Judge Arterton has scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2013, at which time MARTARANO 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.

MARTARANO was arrested on August 3, 2010, and is currently detained.

This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anastasia E. King and Neeraj N. Patel.

The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies.  For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

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.justice.gov/psc.

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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