Middlesex Co. Man Charged With Possession & Production of Child Porn

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — A Plainsboro man was charged with producing and possessing photos depicting child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said Tuesday.

Anthony Lagotta Jr., 54, of Plainsboro, is charged by complaint with one count each of production and possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, Lagotta sexually assaulted two minor victims and took photos depicting that abuse 15 years ago.

In July 2022, Lagotta uploaded around 30 of those images to a child pornography website hosted on the darknet, Sellinger said.

During a search of Lagotta’s residence and computer on Monday, authorities found approximately 700 images depicting the sexual abuse of one of the minor victims, including some of the same images that Lagotta had posted on the darknet forum, Sellinger said.

The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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