NEWARK—A former seventh grade science
teacher and swim coach at an independent New Jersey day school was sentenced
today to 97 months in prison for making available images and videos of
pre-pubescent children being sexually abused—sometimes violently—to others over
the Internet, U.S. Attorney Fishman announced.
Brian Stern, 35, of Plantation, Florida,
and formerly of Montclair, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to one count
of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He entered his guilty plea
before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who also imposed the sentence
today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this
case and statements made during Stern’s guilty plea proceeding:
Until May 2011, when he was arrested,
Stern downloaded and posted videos and images of child pornography via
peer-to-peer file sharing software, through which others had access to the
material on a shared drive. Stern admitted that his offerings included images
of numerous children younger than 12 and depictions of sadistic and violent
conduct. The images downloaded by federal investigators and found on Stern’s
computer included pictures of very young children being restrained and sexually
abused.
In addition to the prison term, Judge
Wigenton sentenced Stern to serve five years of supervised release. As part of
his guilty plea, Stern agreed to forfeit the computer and computer accessories
which he used to commit the offense. He will also be required to register as a
sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special
agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Cyber Crime Task Force, under the direction
of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward; and detectives of the Essex County
Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor
Carolyn A. Murray, with the investigation.
The government is represented by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam N. Subervi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal
Division in Newark.
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