Union County Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was arrested for possessing videos depicting child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Matthew T. Williams, 43, Westfield, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court on Nov. 1, 2023, and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

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

From February 2023 to November 2023, Williams possessed on devices in his home videos depicting child sexual abuse, which he made available for distribution through a peer-to-peer file-sharing service. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Williams’s home on the morning of Nov. 1, 2023 and discovered software open on a computer downloading child pornography. Williams had previously been convicted of sexual misconduct in New York.

The charge of possession of child exploitation material carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 or the gross pecuniary harm to victims of the offense.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, Child Exploitation Group under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz, with the investigation leading to the charge. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.