A Jersey City man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for coercing a minor, who is also a family member, to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he filmed the abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Felix Restitullo, 42, of Jersey City, was convicted in May of one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls.
The jury deliberated less than three hours before returning the guilty verdicts. Walls imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court on Friday.
Restitullo resided with his mother, who acted as caregiver to children, including the victim, an underage girl and family member, according to court documents.
On March 13, 2014, as a result of an ongoing investigation into the sexual abuse of minor children, law enforcement officers interviewed the victim, who told the officers that Restitullo had sexually abused her and photographed it, authorities said.
He was then was arrested and charged by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of the girl.
In connection with his arrest, officers searched Restitullo’s bedroom and recovered a camera and multiple electronic media devices belonging to him.
A forensic examination of the devices was performed, and law enforcement agents identified photographs that depicted the victim’s sexual abuse saved on a thumb drive found in Restitullo’s closet, officials said.
Agents identified more than 3,000 images and more than 350 videos of child sexual abuse.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Walls sentenced Restitullo to lifetime supervised release.
