Comic Book Artist Admits to Distributing Child Pornography

Newark, N.J. – In a shocking turn of events, 31-year-old comic book artist Timothy Yates of West Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to distributing thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse in federal court yesterday.

According to court documents, Yates, the author of a popular comic book series featuring a young heroine, traveled extensively across the country to promote his work and attend comic book conventions attended by children.

Undercover law enforcement officers discovered that Yates was sharing child pornography images and videos on a publicly available peer-to-peer network in 2016 and 2017. A search warrant was executed at his residence, revealing electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse.

Yates’ guilty plea comes with a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the investigative efforts of special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, as well as the West Orange Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina O. Hud of the Criminal Division.

As the Grimy Times continues to investigate this disturbing case, we will provide updates on the sentencing and any further developments.

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