Jackson Man Held on Child Pornography Distribution Charges

A raid on a Jackson house this morning results in the arrest of a 36-year-old township man on charges of child pornography possession and distribution.

Patrick Durkin was apprehended after a three-month probe of child sexual exploitation by investigators from Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato.

Information from Coronato's office says that members of his High Tech Crimes Unit and agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigrations and Customs Enforcement swooped in on Durkin's West Veterans Highway home with a warrant to search his computers and digital media.

Investigators say that they found "hundreds" of lurid movies involving sex acts among youngsters.

Durkin is charged with one count each of distribution, and reproduction, of child pornography, both second-degree charges, as well as a third-degree possession count. He was remanded to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, with bail set at $100,000.

According to details from Coronato's office, Durkin will be prosecuted under New Jersey's enhanced child-pornography law. It raises the possession count from fourth- to third-degree and presumes imprisonment for anyone found guilty of having more than 100 kiddie-porn images.

Additionally, distribution of child pornography is characterized as a strict liability offense if it's transacted on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. Parole ineligibility periods result if more than 25 files are disseminated.