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The downloads were discovered in July 2021 in Windham County in the town of Woodstock.
According to state police, detectives assigned to the computer crimes and evidence unit became aware of suspected child pornography, which had been downloaded over the course of several months, from a computer file-sharing network.
The video files were downloaded via the internet, using an IP address located in the northeast region of Connecticut, state police said.
State police said that a thorough investigation was conducted, and detectives learned that on the dates and times in question, the IP address used to download the video files was registered to a residential address, located on Cornfield Point, in Woodstock.
A further investigation revealed that both the residential address and the IP address were associated with Anthony Morelli, age 55, of Woodstock, state police said.
A search warrant was granted and in June, the unti served the warrant at Morelli's home.
Items of evidence were seized during the search and transported to the Computer Crimes Unit, pending examination. Over the course of several weeks, detectives thoroughly examined items seized from the home including electronic evidence, and identified files consistent with child pornography, state police added.
An arrest warrant for Morelli was issued and he turned himself in to police on Wednesday, Oct. 5, and was charged with:
- Two counts of promoting a minor in an obscene performance
- Two counts of importing child pornography
- Three counts of possession of child pornography
Morelli was later released on a $50,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
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