West Hartford Man Admits Downloading Child Pornography from Dark Web Site

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, today announced that MARK ROHRER, 37, of West Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to one count of receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, ROHRER had a user account on a dark web internet site that promoted child pornography.  Using Bitcoin, ROHRER downloaded images and videos of child pornography from the website in January 2016.

Images of child pornography were found on ROHRER’s home computers after a court-authorized search of his residence in April 2018.

ROHRER faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport.  A sentencing date is not yet scheduled.

ROHRER is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance of the West Hartford Police Department and Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Sarah P. Karwan.

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.