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A former teacher and youth soccer coach from Morristown admitted he persuaded teenagers to send him sexually suggestive photos and video, which he stored on his hard drive until a computer repair shop discovered the trove of illicit materials and reported him to authorities.
Steven Brooks, 36, of Morristown, pleaded guilty to production and possession of child pornography on Wednesday, admitting he used an online alias to request nude photos and other sexually explicit imagery from as many as 70 minors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Brooks could face a prison term of anywhere from 15 to 30 years for producing the abusive imagery, and up to 10 years for its possession, as well as separate $250,000 fines for each charge.
At the time of his arrest in 2021, federal authorities would not disclose where Brooks was working. The Livingston School District released a notice to parents confirming Brooks had recently volunteered at its high school coaching soccer.
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Following Wednesday’s guilty plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Brooks was formerly employed by an elementary school but again did not specify where.
The cache of sexually explicit files was discovered by an employee at a computer repair shop in California after Brooks allegedly called the business to inquire about its privacy policy, noting there was “sensitive and private information” on the hard drive, according to a copy of the complaint.
Upon discovering what the employee suspected was child pornography, the business contacted the FBI, which later determined Brooks may have been exploiting minors as far back as October 2019.
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