A federal grand jury indicted a Kearny school teacher, who is a Morris County resident, for allegedly possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Saturday, Jan. 14.
Anselmo Girimonte, 52, of Wharton, is charged by indictment with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. He will be arraigned at a date to be determined.
Girimonte was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security on a criminal complaint on this conduct on March 4, 2022, and consented to detention.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Dec. 27, 2021, through Jan. 17, 2022, Girimonte reportedly distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers.
Law enforcement officers conducted undercover online sessions to access the P2P program and during these sessions a user shared multiple video files of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults from an internet address traced to Girimonte’s residence.
On March 2, 2022, law enforcement officers lawfully obtained a cell phone from Girimonte’s residence that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
According to his own social media, Girimonte has been an Italian teacher in the Kearny school district since 2006. At the time of his arrest, he was placed on “administrative suspension” by then Superintendent of School Patricia Blood. He remains on that same suspension.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.