Mercer County man who possessed more than 49,000 files of pornography pleads guilty to internet distribution charges

A Hamilton man who had more than 49,000 files of child pornography on his computer when he was arrested last year in the multi-agency child protection initiative “Operation Safety Net” pleaded guilty Monday to distributing child pornography.

Callen Kapschock, 56, pleaded guilty to second-degree distribution of child pornography before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr.  Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Kapschock be sentenced to six years in prison. He would be ineligible for parole for three years, would be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, and would be subject to parole supervision for life. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 4.

While monitoring a peer-to-peer file sharing network popular with sex offenders as part of “Operation Safety Net” in 2017, detectives from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice downloaded more than 25 files of child pornography from a shared folder at an IP address that was subsequently traced to Kapschock. Detectives executed a search warrant at Kapschock’s residence and seized his desktop computer. They determined that the computer contained numerous files of child pornography. A forensic examination of the computer revealed that it contained more than 49,000 videos and images of child pornography.

Kapschock was among 79 child predators and child pornography offenders arrested in “Operation Safety Net,” a nine-month, multi-agency child protection operation. Ten alleged “hands-on” offenders were arrested, including eight New Jersey men, as well as men in California and Indiana who allegedly tried to have children transported interstate from New Jersey for them to sexually assault. The cases are being prosecuted for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial and Computer Crimes Bureau.

“We are determined to seek lengthy prison sentences for super possessors of child pornography like Kapschock, because the more that offenders collect and distribute these materials, the more they drive the terrible sexual abuse of young children,” Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said.  “We will continue to collaborate across all levels of law enforcement to bring these criminals to justice.”

Anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.