Zackary McFerren, 24, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for his involvement in a child pornography case. McFerren pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transferring obscene matter to a minor.
According to court documents, McFerren used online messaging applications to solicit nude photos from minors and transmit a lewd photo to a girl. He admitted to possessing multiple images of child pornography on his home computer between March 2015 and May 2015.
McFerren used the Kik messaging application under the screen name ‘Emily’ to communicate with a minor girl in the Philadelphia area. He asked the minor girl and her friend to take nude photographs of themselves and their genitalia, and the girl sent McFerren at least 14 such photographs.
In addition to the Kik messages, McFerren also used Snapchat to send a picture of his penis to a Florida girl who was under the age of 16 in September 2015. This disturbing behavior led to a thorough investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle imposed the sentence, which includes five years of supervised release and a fine of $2,000. The sentence is a result of the guilty plea and the evidence presented in court. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden. McFerren’s defense counsel was Edward Crisonino, Esq., of Collingswood, New Jersey. The case is a reminder of the importance of law enforcement agencies working together to protect children from exploitation and abuse.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, including special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, played a crucial role in the investigation. The task force worked closely with detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor James P. McClain. The FBI’s Philadelphia Division, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, and the Bay County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office also provided assistance in the investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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