Morris County Man Admits Distribution Of Child Pornography

NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey man today admitted distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Mark Derzko, 74, of Mine Hill, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. Derzko remains on bail pending sentencing.

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

Derzko used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program, which he installed on his computer several years ago, to download videos and images of child sexual abuse. In May, August and September of 2016, law enforcement downloaded more than two dozen videos of child sexual abuse from Derzko’s computer. After executing a search warrant at Derzko’s home in October 2016, agents located more than 2,000 videos and over 8,000 images of child sexual abuse on Derzko’s computers. Derzko admitted that he was making available for others to download videos he had previously saved on his computer.

The distribution of child pornography charge to which Derzko pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Derzko will be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 28, 2018.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Wharton, New Jersey, Police Department for their assistance with the case.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

Defense counsel: Michael Koribanics Esq., Clifton, New Jersey