CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Joseph Cooper, 75, of Williamstown, New Jersey, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. Cooper is expected to appear by videoconference this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case:
In October 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cooper’s residence. Computers in Cooper’s residence contained more than 50 videos and 200 images of child sexual abuse, including depictions of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The computers also contained logs documenting Cooper’s participation in internet chatrooms relating to sexual interest in children.
In a prior federal prosecution in New Jersey in 1999, Cooper was convicted of interstate transportation of child pornography via the internet. In 2011, Cooper was convicted in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Burlington County, of cruelty and neglect of a child. The charge of possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent children by a repeat offender carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, with the investigation leading to today’s charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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