Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography

Published on August 17, 2023

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally announce that James T. Hess, age 50, of the Landing section of Mount Arlington, has been sentenced to New Jersey State Prison in connection with the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

On August 11, 2023, the Honorable Judge Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C., sentenced Hess to three years New Jersey State Prison, with registration under Megan’s Law upon release.  Hess previously pled guilty on April 11, 2023, to one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child – Distribution of CSAM.

The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referencing the upload of video files, allegedly depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors. The defendant was found to have uploaded the CSAM video files to Kik, an internet-based chat application. He did so while at the Netcong Volunteer Fire Department, where he was a captain at the time.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Roxbury Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their efforts in this investigation and prosecution.

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