Middlesex County, N.J., Man Charged With Production And Distribution Of Child Pornography

NEWARK, N.J. –A Middlesex County, N.J., man was arrested today for allegedly producing and distributing numerous images of child pornography, some taken in his own bedroom, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Kenneth Christensen, 44, of Edison, N. J., is charged by Complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child. He appeared before U. S. Magistrate Judge Patty Schwartz in Newark federal court this afternoon.

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

On May 14, 2012, Christensen, who works as a school crossing guard at a middle school in Metuchen, emailed from his personal computer 240 images depicting child pornography. Among them were three images of a boy who appeared to be about 5 years old. During a search conducted Feb. 21, 2013, at Christensen’s residence, the FBI discovered on his computer the three images from the emails, as well as several hundred more images depicting child pornography.

Since as early as 2002, Christensen has produced photographs of a young boy, who at the time was approximately 12 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In several of the photos discovered by law enforcement at Christensen’s residence, the boy was naked and his hands and feet were bound with handcuffs, duct tape, plastic ties, or cloth ties. Most of the photos were taken in Christensen’s bedroom.

On the distribution count, the maximum potential penalty is 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. On the exploitation charge, the maximum penalty Christensen faces is 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents with the FBI-Innocent Images Unit, under the direction of Special Agent James Tareco, and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Velasquez, for the investigation leading to today’s arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Eskew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

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Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

Christensen Complaint