Philadelphia Chef Arrested On Child Porn Charges

By Karen Wall:

A Philadelphia restaurant chef was arrested and charged Wednesday with distribution of child pornography after he was found uploading and distributing the images from a computer at his father’s home in Howell, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said Thursday.

Taylor A. Hecht, 28, of Cantrell Street in Philadelphia, who is a chef at Brigantessa restaurant on East Passyunk Avenue in the city, is charged with one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child for distribution of child pornography, and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child for possession of child pornography, Charles Webster, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said.

The charges followed an investigation by the Computer Crimes Unit of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office acting on a cyber tip received by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Webster said.

The cyber tip reported suspected images of child pornography was uploaded to and transmitted from an IP address resolving to a Vienna Drive address in Howell belonging to Hecht’s father, he said.

Hecht is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $125,000 bail with no option to post 10 percent, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen. Hecht also is barred from using the Internet and cannot have any contact with anyone under the age of 18 as a condition of bail, Webster said.

If convicted of second degree endangering the welfare of a child, Hecht faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in a New Jersey state prison. He would also be subject to the provisions of Megan’s Law upon his release from prison, he said. If convicted of third degree endangering the welfare of a child, Hecht faces a sentence of three to five years in prison, Webster said.