Deal Possible in Ex-Camp Counselor's Child Porn Case

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WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI – A plea deal is in the works for a former Jewish Community Center camp counselor facing federal pornography charges for allegedly posting nude pictures of children — including three 5-year-old boys allegedly photographed while attending an overnight camp — on a Russian website.

Matthew Kuppe, 21, of West Bloomfield, was expected to go to trial this month, but the proceedings have been halted while the plea is negotiated, the Detroit Free Press reports. Kuppe was released from federal custody in November by a federal judge who said he isn’t dangerous and deserves the presumption of innocence.

Related Coverage

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• No Local Charge Against Ex- Counselor Accused of Abusing, Taking Nude Photos of Kids
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Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, confirmed to the Free Press that the plea negotiations are under way, but declined to reveal details.

According to the documents obtained by the Free Press, the trial has been adjourned for at least 60 days. If no deal is reached, a new pre-trial conference will be held on March 7 and Kuppe’s trial will start on April 4.

Kuppe was subsequently fired, as were three other Jewish Community Center camp supervisors who reportedly had knowledge of the allegations as early as 2014.

In a written ruling that released Kuppe to the custody of his parents on $10,000 bond just before Thanksgiving, U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn said the charges are “extremely serious,” but noted the alleged crimes are neither violent nor drug-related, both of which are factors in deciding if someone is a danger to the community.

Parents of the victims responded vehemently, saying Cohn’s actions “diminished the profoundness of his crimes.”

“While Matt Kuppe is home enjoying Thanksgiving dinner and welcoming a new year in comfort, our families are seeking the service of professional therapists to help us understand what may be going on in the boys’ heads,” the parents said in a statement. “This devastating incident has forever changed our lives and we will not know for quite some time what impact this will have on our children. Just because you can’t see the damage doesn’t mean it is not there.”