Morris County Man Admits Posing as Woman to Induce Dozens of Minors to Send Sexually Explicit Pictures and Videos

NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man who was employed by a New Jersey elementary school and helped run a youth soccer club today admitted producing and possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Steven Brooks, 36, of Morristown, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In January 2021, law enforcement officers were notified about possible child pornography on an external hard drive belonging to Brooks. Pursuant to judicially authorized search warrants, law enforcement officers searched Brooks’ external hard drive, electronic devices and social media accounts. Brooks utilized a fake online persona on social media platforms to solicit photos and videos from dozens of minors that depicted the minors engaging in sexual activity. Brooks acknowledged, as relevant conduct, the attempted online enticement, production and possession of child pornography involving at least 70 victims.

The production of child pornography charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison; the possession of child pornography charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Each charge also includes a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2023. 

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and members of the Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force of the Newark field office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, as well as special agents from the FBI’s San Francisco field office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.