Highlands Sex Offender Charged with Child Porn, Risks More Prison Time

A listed sex offender from Highlands who was sentenced to 30 months in prison for kiddie-porn possession in 2006 now risks 10 to 20 years on the same charge.

Layne Bracht, 31, was ordered to be held without bail at his initial court appearance Wednesday, according to information from New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman's office.

Federal agents allege that Bracht distributed still and moving images of child sex abuse through a peer-to-peer file sharing network on October 28, 2013.

Investigators using a search warrant Wednesday morning are said to have seized numerous salacious videos and still images, including some depicting youngsters who hadn't yet reached puberty, and sadistic and masochistic behavior.

Authorities said that three of the files were previously downloaded from Bracht by undercover agents working the file-sharing system.

Information from Fishman's office indicated that Bracht was first arrested in 2006, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2008 to two-and-a-half years, plus five years' supervised release.

Bracht now faces at least 10 years or as much as 20, plus possible fines as high as $250,000, if convicted.