Nine men from across New Jersey were charged or arrested Tuesday on charges of downloading and possessing child pornography from the Internet.
The U.S. attorney's office in Newark said the arrests were the latest in the prosecution of a Belarus-based child pornography enterprise, its owners, affiliates and hundreds of subscribers worldwide.
Charges and arrests in the United States and abroad stemming from the investigation are approaching 1,000 individuals, the office said.
Among the nine charged in New Jersey are a psychologist, a former private school teacher, a banker and school janitor.
Each was scheduled to make an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.
Five other New Jersey individuals were arrested on similar criminal complaints this summer.
All of the defendants -- the nine charged Tuesday and the five previously arrested -- had subscribed using credit cards to the child pornography Web site, which allowed subscribers to download or upload child pornography.
Each of the defendants faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
© Copyright 2004 by United Press International
