What to Know
- A former New Jersey teacher and camp counselor admitted his role in producing child pornography, authorities announced Monday
- Colin Skeele, 32, of Florham Park, pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography, the New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office says
- Skeele faces a minimum sentence of 15 years; Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2018
A former New Jersey teacher and camp counselor admitted his role in producing child pornography, authorities announced Monday.
Colin M. Skeele, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography, the New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office say.
Skeele, of Florham Park, was arrested and charged on Aug. 4, 2016.
The charge of producing child pornography to which Skeele pleaded guilty is punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2018.
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Skeele’s attorney, Jay Surgent, says that his client has accepted the consequences of his conduct.
“My client today has accepted the responsibility for his conduct and will accept this sentence and that is why he has voluntarily plead guilty,” Surgent said, adding that Skeele “is sorry for his conduct.”
According to court documents, Skeele previously worked as a counselor at a boys’ summer camp in Hardwick, New Jersey, and as a teacher at a parochial schools in Boontown and Stirling.
In 2011, Skeele became Facebook friends with a boy that Skeele met while working as a counselor at the summer camp, authorities say, adding that in Facebook messages with the minor, Skeele allegedly offered to pay money for the minor to take sexually explicit photographs to send to Skeele.
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Authorities say that in one instance, Skeele paid the boy about $100 to send nude images of himself and Skeele later sent at least one pornographic image of that minor to another minor who also attended the camp.
Additionally, in February 2012, Skeele allegedly communicated online with individuals in the Phillippines to purchase live child sexual abuse shows. Instant messages gathered during the investigation showed that Skeele used an online fund transfer service to buy the videos, prosecutors say.
Authorities urge anyone with information regarding possible victims to contact the Department of Homeland Security in Newark, New Jersey, 973-776-5500.
