Law Office Employee Charged with Distributing Images of Child Sex Abuse

By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times

Newark police arrested an employee of a Paterson, New Jersey law office and charged him with child sex abuse, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

Kevin Rease, 32, of Hackettstown is a registered sex offender and was arrested April 24, 2013 following a lengthy investigation that included agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 12, 2013, an undercover FBI agent downloaded images depicting child sexual abuse from an individual using an assumed name on a public Internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing network. The investigation revealed that the individual was logged on to the network using an Internet Protocol address registered to the Paterson law office where Rease worked.

After the agent downloaded the images, the FBI executed a search warrant in April 2013 at the law office, seizing digital images depicting child sexual abuse, which included material involving prepubescent minors. Rease’s work computer was logged onto the peer-to-peer network at the time of the raid.

The images found during the raid depict a naked Caucasian adult female and a naked Caucasian toddler in an obviously inappropriate sexual position. Another image depicts a pre-pubescent naked Caucasian boy.

Following his arrest, Rease appeared before Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark Federal Court. He is charged with one count of distributing images of child sex abuse over the Internet.

Having been convicted of previous sex offenses, if found guilty, Rease faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, in addition to a $250,000 fine.

Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to the arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman ofthe U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit will represent the government. Attorney William Ware of Chester will act as defense counsel for the accused.

The allegations contained in the charging document are merely accusations, and Rease is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Contact reporter Alicia Cruz at nj.newsroom.cruz@gmail.com