Mercer County, N.J., Man Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography

TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, N.J., man will have his initial court appearance on child pornography charges in New Jersey after having been arrested by local authorities in Panama and returned to the United States in early April, where he was arrested by special agents from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Fredy Arbito, 31, of Hightstown, N.J., is charged by Complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.

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

As early as Jan. 28, 2013, Arbito knowingly and willfully possessed at least three images of child pornography, which were produced and transported by computer. Emails of a sexual nature allegedly sent by Arbito to a 14-year-old girl in Ecuador were traced back to an account at Arbito’s address in Hightstown.

The charge of possessing child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, in New Jersey under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel: David Oakley Esq., Princeton, N.J.

Arbito Complaint