CAMDEN, N.J. - A West Wildwood, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Jeffrey Spicer, 45, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas to an information charging him with one count of knowingly possessing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Spicer admitted that he possessed images and videos of child sexual abuse on electronic and digital media that were seized from his residence pursuant to a search warrant executed on March 19, 2014. According to a forensic examination of these items, numerous images and videos of child sexual exploitation were discovered, including images on his cellular telephone, which he saved by taking screenshot photos with the telephone. The forensic examination further revealed that Spicer was using a password-protected “app” on his cell phone to store the child pornography.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Simandle sentenced Spicer to 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $7,200 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola; the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor; the Lower Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Mastriana; and the West Wildwood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jackie Ferentz, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Lisa Evans Lewis Esq., Camden