EAST WINDSOR, CT – Mark Roman, 53, is facing a lifetime behind bars after federal authorities arrested him on charges of producing and transporting child pornography. The arrest, announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle, comes after a disturbing investigation revealed a trove of illicit material linked to Roman’s online activity.
The case broke open when Yahoo! flagged Roman’s email account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) due to the transmission of images depicting child sexual abuse. Investigators quickly discovered that Roman’s account wasn’t just a conduit for receiving such material, but a repository of homemade voyeuristic images and videos of naked children. The content, described as deeply disturbing, led to a coordinated search of Roman’s East Windsor residence on November 2, 2021, by the Connecticut State Police and East Windsor Police Department.
The search yielded a digital goldmine of depravity: an iPhone, laptop, and multiple computer storage devices containing approximately 3,000 images and videos of child pornography. But the horror didn’t stop there. Preliminary analysis revealed images and videos of Roman sexually abusing a girl between the ages of six and eight. Investigators also uncovered numerous secret recordings of the same minor victim, as well as another female child between the ages of two and four.
Roman appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and is currently being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for December 8. If convicted on the charge of production of child pornography, Roman faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with a potential maximum sentence of 30 years. The charge of transportation of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle was quick to caution that a criminal complaint is not proof of guilt, and Roman is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the sheer volume and nature of the evidence paints a grim picture. The investigation is being spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with support from the East Windsor Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, a program dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding child exploitation to report it immediately through the CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.com. Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle also extended thanks to the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office for their cooperation.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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