The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced today that Maplewood accountant Kenneth Mashel, 55, was arrested and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
At approximately 6:30 a.m. a search warrant was executed at the Mashel’s home. Two computers were seized and Mashel was taken into custody and charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. After he was processed, he was released.
It is alleged Mashel distributed and possessed multiple images depicting naked prepubescent girls engaged in sexual acts.
The investigation was handled by the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office with assistance of from the FBI and Maplewood Police Department.
Acting Prosecutor Murray commended Detective Michele Bolan and Lieutenant Richard Gould of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit, the FBI and the Maplewood Police Department.
If convicted of all charges, Mashel faces 10 years in state prison on the second degree distribution of child pornography charge and 18 months on the fourth degree possession of child pornography charge.
In the past year, or so, I have noticed a great increase in many various crimes, in which the main “actors” are so-called “Professionals”.
From Doctors to Lawyers to accountants to even a dentist.
Evil has no boundaries, Sandy. I think that law enforcement has just gotten better at catching these creeps so we hear more about it. What I don’t understand is why for a “smart” professional would have this stuff on their computer. Don’t they watch the news? Don’t they know how easy it is to caught distributing/receiving this stuff?
Mrs. Martta….The brain can be a terrible place. Some of us lucky ones receive it twisted into a slip knot and can work out the kinks throughout our lifes. Others are born with a bolus of old rope, condemned to do horrible things, hopefully only inflicted on themselves and not on others.
I just found out that this guy was living inMY parents (and my) home, in Maplewood !! He was renting a room (One Room) on the 2nd floor, where he was doing this, and the people that I sold tje house to … had NO idea what he was doing, on the upper floor !! Makes me sick !!