TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a sex offender from Cape May County who has prior convictions for molesting a 6-year-old boy and possessing hundreds of files of child pornography pleaded guilty today to a new child pornography charge.
Timothy Corwonski, 37, of North Wildwood, N.J., pleaded guilty today to charges of third-degree possession of child pornography and fourth-degree violation of community supervision for life before Superior Court Judge Michael J. Donohue in Cape May County. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Corwonski be sentenced to 6 ½ years in state prison: five years on the possession of child pornography charge and 18 months on the violation of community supervision for life charge, with the two sentences to run consecutively. Sentencing for Corwonski is scheduled for June 29.
Deputy Attorney General Rachael Weeks took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau. Corwonski was arrested in an investigation led by the New Jersey State Parole Board.
Corwonski was arrested on Feb. 9, 2018, by the State Parole Board, New Jersey State Police, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, and the North Wildwood Police Department. The arrest followed the execution of a search warrant at his apartment, where investigators found at least 40 files of suspected child pornography on his computer devices. Investigators had received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about a user who uploaded child pornography to a cloud storage account. The account was linked to an IP address that was traced to Corwonski, who was on federal parole at the time and also subject to parole supervision for life in New Jersey based on prior convictions.
In 2003, Corwonski pleaded guilty in state court to endangering the welfare of a child for fondling a 6-year-old boy while he was sleeping. He was sentenced to four years in state prison and community supervision for life. In 2008, Corwonski was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of federal parole, as a result of his guilty plea in federal court to possessing hundreds of files of child pornography on his computers.
“Corwonski is another example that some offenders who collect child pornography online do not stop there with their deviant impulses, but engage in hands-on predatory conduct against children,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We are putting this predator in prison, where he cannot harm any child.”
“We routinely run down tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and conduct proactive investigations monitoring peer-to-peer networks, mobile apps, social media and ad sites used by sex offenders to share child pornography and locate victims,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We will continue to work tirelessly to apprehend these offenders.”
“The State Parole Board is pleased to have been a part of this multi-agency investigation that resulted in this guilty plea. Cooperative efforts with other state, county, and municipal agencies serve as a force multiplier resulting in a significant public safety benefit. Our participation in the State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force continues to provide significant positive outcomes for the State Parole Board. We are proud of the efforts of our parole officers and all that took part in the investigation,” said Samuel J. Plumeri Jr., Chairman of the New Jersey State Parole Board.
Deputy Attorney General Weeks is prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Julia S. Glass. Attorney General Grewal commended the officers, detectives and agents who investigated for the State Parole Board, New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, ICE Homeland Security Investigations and North Wildwood Police Department. The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office also provided valuable assistance.
Attorney General Grewal and Director Honig urged anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.
Defense Attorney:
Assistant Deputy Public Defender Laura Gambardello, Cape May County.
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