Monmouth County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced To 14 Months In Prison For Possessing Explicit Images Of 12-Year Old Pennsylvania Girl

TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for possessing sexually explicit images of a 12-year old Pennsylvania girl with whom he had an online relationship, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Chad Weber, 23, of Colt’s Neck, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an information charging him with one count of possessing images of child pornography. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

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

In April 2013, law enforcement agents learned Weber had been communicating with a 12-year-old girl from Pennsylvania. The agents obtained and reviewed copies of various chat logs and other internet-based messages, which reflect Weber’s online communications with the victim between February 2013 and April 2013. Many of these communications were sexually explicit. Weber and the victim also traded sexually explicit photographs of each other through the internet and discussed the photographs in online chats. During some of these communications, Weber acknowledged that the victim was 12 years old. Weber admitted possessing these sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim on his cell phone and computer.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Weber to 10 years of supervised release. As part of his guilty plea, Weber must pay restitution of $5,570, forfeit the computer and cell phone he used to commit the offense and register as a sex offender.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Lorber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

Defense counsel: Brian P. Reilly Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Trenton