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Anthony Zito, 34, will be eligible for parole in nine months after admitting to masturbating while watching the videos three to four times a week.
“This case disturbed me deeply,” Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Brian Sinclair told Daily Voice.
Sinclair told Superior Court Judge Edward A. Jerejian that Zito had more than 500 images of children engaging in sex acts and developed a new method of sharing files using video streaming “that we had never seen before.”
"We are better than we were because of this case," he said.
Zito was working at a New York law firm while he was viewing the images at home, defense attorney Emile Lisboa said.
“Doing this kind of activity in their home, it doesn’t occur to them it harms other people," he said. "Mr. Zito didn’t contemplate harm to others -- it was a titillation. But he has re-evaluated his actions and now realizes the larger view.”
Lisboa said the crimes have cost Zito dearly, including being fired and having his case publicized.
He also suggested that his client, who had no prior criminal record, would be a good candidate for the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP), which allows those charged to clear their records if they follow certain conditions.
“There is nothing special about Mr. Zito that he should not go to jail,” Sinclair countered. “He admitted viewing images of children as young as five, and of masturbating four times a week to these images.
“These are crimes against children.”
Once released, Zito will be required to register his name, address and workplace with New Jersey's Megan’s Law sex offender registry, under the judge's sentence. A parole violation means he would return to prison for the full three years, Jerejian told him.
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