A Red Bank man arrested on federal child pornography possession charges last July pleaded guilty Monday, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman.
James Paroline, 27, who worked as a camp counselor for 10 summers at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, admitted downloading sexually explicit videos and images of children to his home computer two years ago, Fishman said.
From the announcement:
Paroline was employed in Monmouth County as an assistant at a nursery school and as a summer camp counselor at a private school. Between Feb. 26, 2015, and March 2, 2015, Paroline accessed a website known as “PlayPen,” an underground online bulletin board and website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of child pornography. During that period, Paroline logged into PlayPen under the username “jimbobtropolis,” which he had registered with PlayPen using his personal email address, and downloaded multiple videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children from the website.
Authorities did not identify either the nursery school or the private school where Paroline, of Pearl Street, had been employed. But Ranney Head of School John Griffith confirmed to the Asbury Park Press last July that Paroline worked at the Hope Road institution “each summer since 2005, as a junior counselor, counselor and this summer as a sports specialist “essentially working with kids on the field and in the gym on sports activities,” the Asbury Park Press reported last July. The camp serves children aged 3 to 13.
The name of the nursery school has not been disclosed.
Paroline pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to one count of an indictment charging him with receiving child pornography, according to the announcement.
He faces up a prison term of five to 20 years, and fines of up to $250,000, upon sentencing, which is scheduled for June 1.
An FBI complaint filed in the case said that Paroline, after waiving his Miranda rights, told the agents that “he has inappropriately touched minor children” while employed as a teacher and camp counselor. Federal authorities did not address that alleged admission when contacted by the Press Monday, the newspaper reported.
