Bayonne Man Charged With Possessing And Distributing Child Porn

26-year old Brandon Tyler Mooney of Bayonne has been charged with possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse.   According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Mooney is charged by complaint with one count of possession and one count of distribution of child pornography.  He was arrested last Thursday, January 11th and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court on Friday.   He is currently detained.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mooney exchanged child pornography with another person using a cloud-based, instant messaging platform as early as June, 2023.  Then on December 19th, Mooney sent “multiple images and videos, including content that appears to involve sexual images of children under the age of 12, to an undercover law enforcement official.”   Sellinger says law enforcement officials found more than 600 images in Mooney’s possession which appear to depict child sexual abuse.

Possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory, minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

In a press release, Sellinger credited the Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, the Bayonne Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Geisler, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and Mooney is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.