Ex Allen & Overy Partner Arrested for Distributing Child Porn from Law Firm Office

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Edward De Sear, a former Allen & Overy partner who worked in the firm’s capital markets group, has been indicted on charges of collecting and distributing hundreds of child pornography images. He was arrested on Thursday morning on three counts of advertising child pornography, four counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

According to the Newark U.S. Attorney’s office, De Sear utilized peer-to-peer file sharing programs to distribute child porn and used Allen & Overy’s wireless Internet network to view porn. The indictment shows that during one such session he distributed multiple child pornography files to an undercover agent. De Sear faces up to $2 million in fines and a maximum of 180 years in prison.

De Sear had a distinguished career prior to the discovery of his habits. He graduated from Columbia University and from University of Virginia Law School in 1973. From 1968 to 1970, he was a personnel records specialist in the U.S. Army. Before joining Allen & Overy, he was a partner at several big law firms including McKee Nelson, Bingham McCutchen and Milbank Tweed. It is unclear, as to  the point in his long career he picked up the habit of viewing and distributing child pornography.

  

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Last year, De Sear was arrested on a single count of distribution of child porn, and subsequently released on a bail of $ 250, 000. He did not enter a plea and was arrested on additional charges on Thursday during an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Arleon in Newark.

Images downloaded and distributed by De Sear depicted young boys and girls under non-consensual sexual abuse and often held in restraints.

The case is United States of America v. Edward De Sear, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, No. 11-8143.