Somerset County Man Admits Receipt Of Child Pornography

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

Lomere T. Walls, 27, of Franklin Park, New Jersey, pleaded before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography.

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

Walls 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. Between July and November of 2016, law enforcement downloaded dozens videos of child pornography from Walls’ computer. After executing a search warrant at Walls’ home in November of 2016, agents located 149 videos and 92 images of child sexual abuse on Walls’ computer and phone. Walls admitted that he had been actively searching for videos and images of child pornography, which he had previously saved on his computer.

The receipt of child pornography charge to which Walls 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. Walls will be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Newark Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The investigation was also assisted by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Michael Robertson.

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

Defense counsel: Eric Mark, Esq., Newark