A Kearny teacher has been charged with distributing pictures and videos of child sexual abuse late last year into early this year, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Anselmo Girimonte, 51, of Wharton, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. He appeared by videoconference Friday before U.S. District Judge James B. Clark III and was detained.
Girimonte has been an Italian teacher at the Kearny Public Schools since 2006, according to his LinkedIn page.
From December 27th, 2021, through January 17th, 2022, Girimonte distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers.
Users must download the P2P program, which is widely available for free on the Internet.
The program allows the user to place files into a designated “shared” folder on his or her hard drive, from which other P2P program users can then download those files directly to the “shared” folders of their own computers.
Users can then browse, search, select, and directly download, those files. The program typically keeps a log of each downloaded event.
Law enforcement conducted an undercover online session to access the P2P program and to download nine video files containing child pornography from an IP address assigned to an internet service provider account associated with Girimonte’s residence.
These files included multiple visual depictions of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults, authorities said.
The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
He also thanked the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the Rockaway Township Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their assistance with the investigation.
This is terrible news. I hope the teacher is found guilty and punished to the fullest extent of the law.