Try our award winning monitoring software for free at Watch Right Monitoring Software for Parents
Source Newsday
HAMILTON, N.J. -- A high school hockey coach, a pediatric neurosurgeon and 37 others have been arrested on child pornography charges in a law enforcement operation authorities credited to new investigative computer technology used by state police detectives.
Those arrested were from around the state and ranged in age from a 14-year-old in Ocean County to a 61-year-old man from Cape May County, authorities said Thursday.
Investigators were able to collect evidence of child pornography from the computers of some of those charged despite software used by the defendants that is designed to permanently erase files and remove traces of Web site visits, according to state police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes.
He said the new file sifting technology was a major advance in the effort to track and arrest those downloading child pornography.
"Do not assume that you can successfully shed this digital evidence on your computer," Fuentes said as a warning to those downloading such material.
The state police investigation began after detectives in Wyoming using the new software detected child pornography images and traced them to computers in New Jersey. One of the files found on the computers of those charged was a series of video clips showing a 5-year-old girl being raped by a Georgia man now in prison for the crime, according to state Attorney General Peter C. Harvey.
"It was the most offensive material in the world of child pornography," Harvey said. "You have to go looking for this and they did, and we went looking for them."
The computers of those charged also contained still photos and video images, authorities said.
Harvey said the child pornography was traced to specific computers and authorities then obtained court orders to search the homes and computers of those charged. The investigation lasted two months and the warrants were executed between Jan. 17 and Thursday, Harvey said.
The defendants live in 17 of the state's 21 counties. In addition to the 14-year-old, nine other juveniles were arrested.
"Child pornography is not confined to dirty old men," Harvey said.
Authorities said they would attempt to have some of the juveniles tried as adults.
The attorney general said those charged purposely downloaded the child pornography and that it wasn't unsolicited or mistakenly sent to their computers.
"These people were storing this material," Harvey said. "These are people collecting this because they like it and they want to look at it."
Most of those arrested were charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. One also faces weapons charges and another drug charges in connection with their arrests.
Authorities identified the hockey coach charged as Andrew Friedman, 27, of Morristown, from Kinnelon High School in Morris County. A phone message seeking comment left at a listing for an Andrew Friedman in Morristown was not immediately returned Thursday.
Scott Rosenberg, assistant principal for athletics and student activities at Kinnelon High School, said Friedman had been suspended pending an internal investigation of the charges. Friedman had been a hockey coach at the school for two years, according to Rosenberg.
Authorities identified the pediatric neurosurgeon as Ross B. Finesmith of Basking Ridge. A phone message seeking comment left at a listing for a Ross Finesmith in Basking Ridge was not immediately returned Thursday.
The FBI, 19 county prosecutors offices and 36 municipal police departments also took part in the investigation dubbed "Operation Guardian," Fuentes said. The computer sifting was done by state police detectives with the Child Protection and Cyber-Crime Bureau along with the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
4 comments:
Finesmith is a pediatric neurologist- I wonder if there are any parents supporting or condemning him?
what is the status of the charges against finesmith? i can i find out if when a trial may be set?
My children were patients of Dr. FineSmith's and I am very shocked and saddened by this. He was just a wonderful doctor and helped so many children. It is a real loss to his patients and their families and a waste of such intelligence.
my child was a patient, and we thought he was a good person. I am sickened and outraged. He once talked at length about a Christmas card photo of our children one year and said he loved it so much he was going to put it on his website. I thought he meant his office's website. It never appeared there. Just what website did he post it on...? I do not dare to even imagine. I am SO GRATEFUL he was found out. He has children of his own.
Post a Comment