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Press Release

NASA Contractor Arrested For Possession Of Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Anthony Joseph Culotta, Jr. (59, Brevard County) with possession of child pornography. Culotta faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.    

According to the criminal complaint, Culotta has been a NASA contractor since at least 2004, and worked has with the Kennedy Space Center Launch Services Program. Between May 31 and August 7, 2018, Culotta used his NASA-issued laptop computer to search for, view, and possess sexually explicit images of children.

On August 7, 2018, special agents working with the NASA Office of Inspector General interviewed Culotta, who admitted that he used his NASA computer to search for and view images that piqued his curiosity. A search of the computer revealed over 1,000 images of child pornography, including images of known victims previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.         

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has violated federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by NASA Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Kennedy Space Center. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.     

 

Updated August 10, 2018

Topic
Project Safe Childhood