NEWARK, N.J. — A Somerset County man admitted Monday to receiving and possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jack Wilder, 27, of Somerville, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 23, 2024, Wilder, a teacher at a school in Plainfield, returned from an international trip on a flight that landed in New York. Law enforcement seized his cell phone at the airport and later uncovered images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
About a week after his phone was seized, Wilder obtained a new device. From July 29, 2024, through May 1, 2025, he knowingly received additional images and videos of child pornography on the second cell phone, prosecutors said.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2026.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state and local resources to prosecute offenders and identify victims.
