N.J. man had 10K images of child sexual abuse material, authorities say – NJ.com

A 55-year-old New Jersey man allegedly deleted more than 10,000 digital images of child sexual abuse material from his computer, but investigators say they used special software to locate the images and charge the Middletown resident.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office began looking into Joseph Poutre’s online activities after being tipped off by State Police, who were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, officials said.

Investigators traced the activity to an IP address used by Poutre when he lived on the 2000 block of Princeton Avenue in Fanwood, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Authorities then searched the computer after obtaining a warrant.

Poutre, of Middletown, turned himself in last week and was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child. He is scheduled to make a first appearance in court on April 7.

Poutre’s attorney — Mark Ranges of Bruno & Ferraro in Rutherford — didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from NJ Advance Media.

Suspected child sexual exploitation, online or otherwise, can also be reported via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tipline (via www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678).

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.