Brian Newton of East Northport was sentenced to 19 years’ of imprisonment in Central Islip federal court Wednesday by United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco.
Newton, 38, pleaded guilty in May to transportation of child pornography in interstate and foreign commerce. As part of his sentence, Newton must serve five years’ supervised release following his imprisonment, during which time he must remain registered as a sex offender and not have unsupervised contact with minors.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Newton, despite being a registered sex offender, again chose to victimize children by sharing images of their abuse with others online, conduct that is deserving of a substantial prison sentence and underscores a message of deterrence to others,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The protection of innocent children is a priority of utmost importance for this Office and our law enforcement partners. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who victimize children will be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Donoghue thanked the FBI New York Crimes Against Children Task Force for its investigative work and assistance.
Newton, who at the time of the charged offense was on probation from a conviction in Suffolk County in 2014 for possession of child pornography, was caught trading child pornography including sadistic depictions of the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. During the execution of a search warrant at his residence, law enforcement seized Newton’s large collection of child pornography, including hundreds of videos and thousands of images.
After his arrest, Newton admitted engaging in conversations with minors over internet chat platforms, as well as sending nude images of himself to minors and soliciting nude images from minors. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.