TRENTON
– Former New Jersey Assemblyman Neil
M. Cohen was named today in a superseding
indictment that charges him with an additional
count of possession of child pornography,
Attorney General Anne Milgram announced.
The
Division of Criminal Justice obtained a superseding
indictment that charges Cohen, 58, with a
new count of fourth-degree possession of child
pornography in connection with multiple images
of child pornography he allegedly possessed
on a computer seized from his law office in
Montclair, according to Criminal Justice Director
Deborah L. Gramiccioni.
The
new indictment replaces the Dec. 17, 2008
indictment which charged Cohen for child pornography
found in the 20th Legislative District office
in Union Township. The superseding indictment
repeats all four counts of the prior indictment,
charging him with official misconduct (2nd
degree), reproduction of child pornography
(2nd degree), distribution of child pornography
(2nd degree), and possession of child pornography
(4th degree).
The
indictment alleges that Cohen used one or
more computers in the 20th Legislative District
office to view child pornography consisting
of multiple images of underage girls engaged
in sexual acts or simulated sexual acts, or
depicted in the nude for the purpose of sexual
gratification of viewers. Cohen allegedly
used a printer in the office to reproduce
copies of the child pornography, which he
left around where anyone in the office could
find and view them.
The
indictment was handed up to Superior Court
Judge Linda R. Feinberg in Mercer County.
Cohen will be ordered to appear in court at
a later date in Mercer County to answer the
new charge. Second-degree crimes carry a maximum
sentence of 10 years in state prison and a
$150,000 fine, while fourth-degree crimes
carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison
and a $10,000 fine. The official misconduct
charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence
of five years without parole.
The
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty. A copy of the indictment is available
with this press release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
The
charges are the result of an investigation
by the New Jersey State Police and the Division
of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Deputy
Attorney General Anthony A. Picione, deputy
chief of the DCJ Corruption Bureau, and Deputy
Attorney General Robert Rowbotham II presented
the case to the state grand jury.
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