What to Know
- New Jersey police arrested Steven Robinson, of Neptune City, on child pornography charges Thursday, the NJ Attorney General said
- Robinson allegedly shared child porn files using a file-sharing network and downloaded about 100 images of child pornography
- He faces up to 15 years in state prison and could pay fines totaling up to $115,000
Police have taken a 48-year-old New Jersey man into custody for allegedly distributing dozens of videos and photos containing child pornography through a file-sharing network.
Detectives arrested Steven Robinson Thursday at his Neptune City home and taken into custody at the Monmouth County Jail, New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced Friday.
He faces second-degree distribution and third-degree possession of child pornography charges. Computer equipment was seized during an executed search warrant at Robinson's home Thursday, police said.
"The tragedy of child pornography is that children are tortured and sexually exploited to supply the market for these vile materials, and they are perpetually re-victimized when these images are shared online," Porrino said. "We'll continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to arrest those responsible for these horrendous crimes."
If convicted, Robinson could be sentenced to five to ten years in state prison and pay a criminal fine of up to $150,000 for the second-degree crime. He faces an additional three to five year sentence in state prison and pay a fine of up to $15,000 for the third-degree crime.
Through several methods of investigation, authorities said a detective uncovered that an IP address belonging to Robinson was used to share child pornography.
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Officials said he also downloaded about 100 files of child porn, including videos showing pre-pubescent girls being raped or coerced into performing sex acts on themselves or others.
Regardless of whether he knew he was sharing the files, Robinson could be denied parole for five years due to a 2013 law that carries a mandatory minimum parole ineligibility period for distribution of 25 or more child pornography files, according to authorities.
Under the new law, officials said it's presumed he'll serve a three to five year prison sentence for the 100 files in his possession, regardless of whether he has any prior criminal convictions.
