Camden County man guilty in child porn case
CAMDEN - A Mount Ephraim man was convicted Wednesday of using a file-sharing network to exchange images and videos of child pornography, according to acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman.
Gerald D. Laphan, 28, was found guilty by a jury in federal court in Camden of second-degree distribution of child pornography, second-degree offering of child pornography, and fourth degree-possession of child pornography, authorities said.
Laphan man was indicted in September 2014 by a grand jury after an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
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"Laphan and his kind put children in danger of being raped, tortured, and sexually exploited so they can watch. They belong in prison," Hoffman said.
Laphan was arrested in 2012 by the state police, but the investigation was initiated by a Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office investigation into peer-to-peer file-sharing on a network popular among those trading child pornography, officials said. Detectives found a computer address offering multiple files for download. Investigators were able to download three videos, including one of an adult male raping a prepubescent girl, according to the attorney general's office.
Police seized two computers at Laphan's home during the execution of a search warrant. Searches of the laptops revealed 265 video and photo files, officials said.
Laphan will be sentenced March 18. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison. He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law.
Carly Q. Romalino; (856) 486-2476; cromalino@gannettnj.com