A former police officer and Army National Guardsman was ordered to spend 3.5 years in prison for possessing more than 12,300 child pornographic files while he was still serving in both positions.
Daniel Morozewicz, 38, downloaded and shared the files using the BitTorrent network between September 2020 and January 2021, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. The office said Morozewicz used multiple electronic devices to store and share the child pornography involving "prepubescent minors."
"During that time, Morozewicz repeatedly distributed child pornography to undercover law enforcement officers," the office announced. "On at least four instances in 2020, investigators determined that the devices associated with Morozewicz’s IP address downloaded and shared child pornographic files on the BitTorrent; including eight packages of child pornography."
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Morozewicz previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after admitting to factory resetting his smartphone after being tipped off that police were interested in interviewing him. He also copped to tossing a computer ahead of the searches from officers, presumably to thwart the investigation.
Still, authorities say the search warrants they executed revealed "12,300 depictions of child pornography and erotica, including over 200 depicts involving the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and over 90 child pornographic images involving sado-masochistic conduct."
U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Morozewicz to 42 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, and ordered Morozewicz to pay $14,000 in restitution.
