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Anthony Lagotta Jr., 54, was charged with one count each of production and possession of child pornography, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 20. He appeared in front of a federal judge and was detained.
According to court documents and statements, Lagotta sexually assaulted two children and took photos of what happened about 15 years ago. He then uploaded 30 of the pictures to a child porn website on the dark web in July 2022.
A criminal complaint said Lagotta posted on the website's forum and described in detail how he sexually assaulted a five-year-old. Lagotta also lived in Sayreville between 2009 and 2012, including the time of the assaults.
Police raided Lagotta's home on Monday, Aug. 19 and investigators found about 700 photos of the sexual abuse of one child. The pictures included some of the same ones he had uploaded to the forum.
If convicted, Lagotta faces 15 to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
FBI agents from Newark, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, and the Plainsboro Police Department assisted in the investigation.
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