Newton Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

BOSTON—A Newton man was convicted today in federal court of possession of child pornography.

PETER JEPSEN, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to possession of child pornography. JEPSEN, who has been held in custody since his arrest on November 23, 2010, will remain incarcerated until his sentencing.

At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the court that had the case proceeded to trial, the government’s evidence would have proven that as early as 2008, JEPSEN utilized multiple Internet technologies, including several social networking websites, to traffic images of child pornography, including those depicting minors being sexually abused.

Judge Woodlock scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2011. JEPSEN faces up to 10 years in prison to be followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division; and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael I. Yoon of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov/.