Former Morris County School Employee Distributed Child Porn: Feds

EAST HANOVER, NJ — A former employee at an East Hanover high school distributed child pornography, according to authorities. Ezra Saphire was federally charged Thursday after investigators found about 1,850 images in a folder named "pedo" on his computer, according to a criminal complaint.

East Hanover police alerted Hanover Park Regional High School administrators Tuesday that a contracted employee from its food-service provider was under criminal investigation.

"The individual was not present on school grounds today," Superintendent Maria Carrell wrote to the district community, "and furthermore, is not permitted back on our campuses. It is our understanding that no students or staff were implicated in the pending criminal investigation. At this time, this is an ongoing police matter."

Undercover law enforcement conducted online investigations using a publicly-available peer-to-peer (P2P) software application program. They used P2P software to download 1,014 videos and 659 images showing child sexual abuse.

Investigators connected the files to an IP address from Saphire's West Orange home, according to authorities. Several files included adults sexually abusing pre-pubescent children, the complaint says.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant Tuesday on Saphire's home, finding the images in a folder in his computer, authorities said. Saphire, 29, admitted to investigators that he used the P2P software to download and share child pornography in June and July, the complaint says.

The man was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography. If convicted, the count carries 5-20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense.

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