Cranford Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge

CRANFORD, NJ — A Cranford man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of receiving child pornography, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig.

Joseph Hinksmon, 41, of Cranford pleaded by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to one count of an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Hinksmon had first been charged in 2019. READ MORE: Cranford Man Had 10,000 Child Pornography Images: Prosecutor

The U.S. Attorney's Office said that according to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, from July 10, 2019, through July 24, 2019 of that year, Hinksmon accessed the internet to download and receive videos and images of child sexual abuse to his personal hard drive.

Hinksmon’s computer devices contained more than 600 images of child sexual abuse that Hinksmon had downloaded from the internet, including images of prepubescent children, prosecutors said.

The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, said prosecutors. Hinksmon will be required to register as a sex offender.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23.

Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Wilson Jr. of the Criminal Division in Newark.

Don't miss Cranford breaking news alerts when they are announced, or get a free daily newsletter each morning with Cranford news. Sign up with your preferences here.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.