Doctor admits distributing child porn

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NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A New Jersey doctor has pleaded guilty to downloading and distributing images and videos of children being violently and sadistically sexually abused.

Rocco Martino of South Orange, who had practiced internal and sports medicine in Berkeley Heights, admitted he had downloaded more than 200 images and videos on his home computer, including restrained and gagged toddlers, The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger reported.

Martino pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced in April.

Martino, 43, received education and training at Columbia, Princeton and Brown universities and until resigning last January, had worked at Summit Medical Group, which has nearly 20 offices in New Jersey.

Summit spokesman Richard Rubenstein said Martino treated primarily adults and no accusations or complaints of inappropriate behavior were made against him in his five years with the practice.

Martino admitted he had downloaded and posted about 194 images and 27 videos using peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Some of the pictures included very young children being restrained and sexually abused and one showed a naked 3-year-old girl tied up with lewd words scrawled on her stomach, the Star-Ledger said.