Michael Kushner, 42, of Cherry Hill, was charged with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
A Cherry Hill man was one of 40 men from New Jersey charged with possession of child pornography following a six-month investigation coordinated by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The New Jersey State Police announced 40 men have been charged with possession of child pornography across the state. One of the 40 men was Michael Kushner, 42, of Cherry Hill. He was charged with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The six-month investigation, called Operation Statewide, was a proactive effort coordinated by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The law enforcement team, led by New Jersey State Police detectives, followed the digital fingerprint of known images of child porn as they were being sent and received over file sharing networks to specific computers. Internet addresses were traced to street addresses and detectives from partnering agencies knocked on the doors of many surprised defendants, one of whom was in the process of downloading child porn images.
“These offenders, by their actions, contribute in a very real and direct way to the cruel exploitation of innocent children, and that is why we remain tireless in our efforts to protect children by locking up these criminals,” said Attorney General Porrino. “The message that Operation Statewide delivers to these offenders is clear: It doesn’t matter where you live or whether you think you can hide your crimes by viewing these vile images in the dark seclusion of your home, we’re monitoring you on the Internet, and we will track you down and arrest you.”
“This type of operation is nothing new, yet people continue to ignore the arrests and seek this depraved material regardless of the impact to the children it victimizes, or to society at large,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “It’s widely accepted that a percentage of those obtaining child porn will be involved at some point in the sexual assault of children, so these arrests may actually prevent the abuse of some future victims,” Fuentes added.
In addition to the New Jersey State Police, agencies participating in Operation Statewide include the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the United States Homeland Security Investigations and county prosecutors offices, including the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges are mere accusations. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
