A former teacher from Union County, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. The sentencing was announced by Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello.
Jack Wilder, 27, of Somerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court to one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography. Judge Semper handed down the sentence on January 27, 2026.
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, law enforcement discovered child pornography on Wilder’s cell phone in July 2024 while he was employed as a teacher at a school in Plainfield, New Jersey. In May 2025, authorities arrested Wilder and found additional illicit material on a second cell phone.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations Newark office and Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy for their work on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark represented the government in this case.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at Justice.gov/PSC.
Wilder was represented by defense attorneys Michael Baldassare and Jeff Hawriluk.
