Morris County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

NEWARK, N.J. - A Morris County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Anselmo Girimonte, 53, of Wharton, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Judge Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From Dec. 27, 2021, through Jan. 17, 2022, Girimonte distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program. Law enforcement used undercover online sessions to access the P2P program and during these sessions a user shared multiple video files of adults sexually abusing prepubescent children from an internet protocol address traced to Girimonte's residence. During a March 2, 2022, search of Girimonte's residence, law enforcement found over 100 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused, on Girimonte's cell phone.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Girimonte to 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $68,000 in restitution to the victims.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, the Rockaway Township Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.