By Philip Newman
An East Elmhurst man has been charged with possession of numerous of photos of children under 12 performing sex acts or acting in a sexual manner and is also charged with possession of a loaded handgun, the Queens DA said.
“The Internet has replaced the proverbial back alley as the place where purveyors of child pornography gather to share their vile and disturbing videos and photographs of young children being sexually abused,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Brown identified the defendant as Milton Hilario, 42, of 97th Street in East Elmhurst.
Hilario was arraigned last Friday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Stephanie Zaro on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, promoting a sexual performance by a child and criminal possession of a firearm, the DA said.
Zaro ordered Hilario held on $15,000 bond/$7,500 cash bail, to surrender his passport and to return to court Nov.16. If convicted, Hilario could face up to 15 years in prison.
About 6 a.m. Oct. 27 a court-ordered search warrant drafted by Brown’s Computer Crimes Unit and signed by acting Supreme Court Judge Elisa Koenerman was executed at Hilario’s residence. Hilario allegedly told police that he downloaded child pornography onto his phone using software which enables the user to get movies or other material.
“It is important for the public to remember that the images and videos being exchanged are, for all intents and purposes, photos and footage of of crime scenes as they depict real children being cruelly victimized both physically and emotionally and who will have to carry the painful memory of that which occurred to them for the rest of their lives,” Brown said.
