Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Joseph N. Rock, 41, of Old Saybrook, was sentenced by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 78 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for trading child pornography on the internet. On July 27, 2009, Rock pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Haven began an investigation of Rock after receiving information from an ICE agent in Fresno, California, that Rock had engaged in online communications with a target of a child pornography investigation based in Fresno. On Jan. 16, 2008, ICE agents interviewed Rock at his residence and obtained consent to search his computer. When questioned by agents on that date, Rock admitted that he sent and received images of child pornography over the Internet, and that engaged in explicit online instant message chats related to the sexual exploitation of children.

Subsequent analysis of Rock’s computer equipment revealed the existence of more than 600 images of child pornography, including images of children under the age of 12.

Rock has been detained in federal custody since September 2008.

This investigation was conducted by ICE. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anastasia E. King. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. To report cases of child exploitation, visit www.cybertipline.com.

Press release from United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Nora R. Dannehy