Repeat Offender Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

NEWARK, N.J. -A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Christopher Carvajal, 31, of North Bergen, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

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

In April 2023, Carvajal's iPhone was seized at Newark International Airport. A search revealed that Carvajal's iPhone contained more than 900 video files and more than 400 image files depicting sexual abuse of minors, including infants or toddlers. Carvajal's iPhone also contained communications in which Carvajal discussed his desire for sexual encounters with young children. Carvajal was previously convicted in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, of a child pornography offense.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Carvajal to 153 years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.