Burlington County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Downloading Images of Child Sexual Abuse

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Palmyra, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for using a computer in his home to distribute images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Donald Kivel, 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging him with one count of receiving child pornography. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Kivel admitted downloading images of child pornography that were available for distribution using peer-to-peer sharing software using a computer in his residence in June and July 2011. He also admitted to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography on his computer, which was seized from his residence July 15, 2011.  Kivel acknowledged that among the images he possessed and distributed were images which depicted minors posing in a sexually explicit manner, images of child pornography involving children under the age of 12, and images that portrayed sadistic and/or masochistic conduct or other images of violence.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Kivel to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $19,980.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Attorney in Charge R. Stephen Stigall of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Maggie Moy Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden