82-year-old NJ Man Charged With Distribution of Child Porn

Federal authorities say a man from Morris County was arrested for distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse.

Details

• 82-year-old William Harbeson of Boonton was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography.
• He appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Newark federal court last Tuesday and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger's office released details of what led to Harbeson's arrest,

From May 2022 to September 2022, Harbeson distributed videos of child sexual abuse via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program. An undercover law enforcement officer conducted online sessions using the P2P program, during which a user shared hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse from an IP address traced to Harbeson’s address. Subsequent to a lawful search of his residence, law enforcement officers recovered at least 38 videos and 351 images of child sexual abuse on Harbeson’s hard drive.

Big prison time possible

The count of distribution of child pornography carries five to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.