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PEQUANNOCK - Prison for scout leader found with child porn
(by Donna Rolando - Managing Editor - October 19, 2008)
PEQUANNOCK - Former Cub Scout leader Mark Andrew Lutz, charged in December of 2007 with possessing child pornography, was to report Wednesday to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in preparation for a 30-month federal prison sentence.
Greg Reinert, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, said that Lutz, charged in an international child pornography sting, was sentenced on Sept. 10 to time in a federal lockup. He was also fined $5,000 and will be subject to five years of supervision after doing time.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Web site, Lutz, 47, was serving at Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex in White Deer, Pa.
Reinert said that when it comes to federal sentences, there is no parole, and time off for good behavior is seldom significant.
In handing down the sentence, Reinert said the judge would have considered the fact that Lutz entered a guilty plea, which is a sign of taking responsibility for one’s actions. The plea agreement prevented a trial in the child pornography possession case.
Lutz originally was charged in a one-count federal complaint of knowingly possessing at least three images of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine. Whether the charge was downgraded in some way is uncertain at this time. His attorney, Patrick Mullen of Hackensack, was not available at deadline and the U.S. Attorney’s office didn’t know.
On a side point, Lutz served as a den leader for Cub Scout Pack 144 in Pompton Plains for approximately five years but resigned in light of the complaint. During his initial court appearance, the judge placed restrictions on his contact with minors.
The complaint against Lutz was the result of an international investigation known as Operation Emissary, which was initiated by the New Jersey office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in late 2005 in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The investigation focused on a commercial Web site offering access to videos and images of hard-core child pornography. The Web site alerted would-be customers that subscribing to the site was illegal and warned them to be discreet about their purchase.
As of late 2007, more than 260 individuals in 44 states had been arrested nationwide as a result of Operation Emissary.
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