Morris Co. Teacher Indicted On Child Pornography Charges

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A Morris County elementary school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Anselmo Girimonte, 52, an Italian teacher in the Kearny School District, was charged by indictment with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.

Girimonte will be arraigned at a later date, which has yet to be determined, Sellinger said.

According to police, Girimonte distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse between Dec. 27, 2021, and Jan. 17, 2022, via a publicly accessible online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers.

Law enforcement officers conducted undercover online sessions to gain access to the P2P program, and during these sessions, a user shared multiple video files of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults from an internet address traced to Girimonte's residence.

On Mar. 2, 2022, police officers lawfully obtained a cell phone from Girimonte's home that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

Girimonte was arrested on Mar. 4, 2022, on a criminal complaint for this conduct and agreed to detention.

After his arrest, Girimonte was placed on administrative leave, according to District Superintendent Patricia Blood. Girimonte has been in the district since 2006, teaching Italian to students in first through eighth grades, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Girimonte faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.