A Union County man was arrested today on a charge of distributing explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Officials say Jeffrey Shreve, 35, of Scotch Plains, was arrested at his home by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Police charged him by complaint with one count of distributing explicit images of minors. Shreve made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Shreve, a New Jersey corrections officer, used peer-to-peer file sharing software to seek and obtain explicit images of minors, including images of prepubescent minors.
The charge of distributing explicit images of minors carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.