Sex Offender Charged With Distributing Child Porn

A registered sex offender from Hackettstown was scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday on a charge of distributing child pornography.

Kevin Rease, 32, was arrested Tuesday at the Paterson law office where he works after an undercover FBI agent said he downloaded child porn images Rease shared on a Web peer-to-peer network.

The images, which the undercover agent downloaded on March 12, depicted toddlers in sexual situations, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.

The FBI executed a search warrant at the law office and seized digital images showing child sexual abuse, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney. Rease's work computer was logged onto the peer-to-peer network under an assumed name that the FBI agent said was used to share the files.

Rease was convicted in 2002 in Essex County on sexual assault, enticement and endangering the welfare of a child charges. He is listed on the New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry.

Rease faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum term of 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.