Glastonbury Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offense

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging JAMES RIPBERGER, 62, of Glastonbury, with one count of receipt of child pornography.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2017, law enforcement officers conducted a search of RIPBERGER’s Glastonbury residence and seized computers and electronic storage devices.  Preliminary analysis of the seized items revealed more than 125 images and videos of child pornography.

If convicted of receipt of child pornography, RIPBERGER faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

RIPBERGER has been in federal custody since December 15, 2017, when he was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Glastonbury Police Department and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.