Rocky Hill Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEPHEN ULISSE, 49, of Rocky Hill, was sentenced yesterday, February 7, by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing and distributing child pornography.

"Protecting children from harm is one of the most critical responsibilities we have, and the U.S. Attorney's Office and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will continue to focus our energy and resources on prosecuting those who exploit society's most vulnerable members," stated U.S. Attorney Fein.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2004 and October 2006, ULISSE used various peer-to-peer file sharing software programs to receive hundreds of images of child pornography over the Internet. The peer-to-peer programs allowed other users with similar software to download the images of child pornography that ULISSE had received and stored on his computer.

On October 9, 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Glastonbury Police Department conducted a search of ULISSE's former residence and seized several laptop and desktop computers, hard drives, disks, and other computer media. Analysis of the seized items revealed that ULISSE possessed thousands of images and videos of minors, including children under the age of 12, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

On October 14, 2010, ULISSE pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.

Following his release from prison, ULISSE will be required to register as a sex offender. As special conditions of his 10-year-term of supervised release, the United States Probation Office is authorized to monitor ULISSE's computer use and conduct searches of his residence, automobile, and workplace based on reasonable suspicion. Also, ULISSE must not hold any position of authority or guidance over children or youth groups involving children who are under the age of 18, nor loiter around schools, playgrounds, arcades, or any other places where children under 18 congregate.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, including the Glastonbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anastasia E. King.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment, and online crimes against children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.