Gavin Swiatek: Rutgers Instructor Shared Child Pornography on Campus Computers

Gavin Swiatek, a Rutgers University instructor, was arrested Tuesday for sharing hundreds of videos of child pornography using campus computers.

Swiatek, a 49-year-old biochemistry instructor at the Cook Campus in New Brunswick, was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography by the state Attorney General's office. He is barred from the campus but it has not been decided if he will be fired, according to a statement from Rutgers University.

Those who view and distribute child pornography contribute to the tragic exploitation of children, because they fuel the demand that drives suppliers to produce these abhorrent materials, Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said in a statement.

State police investigators said Swiatek was using university computers to share hundreds of videos of children via the Internet and peer-to-peer file sharing. Prosecutors have seized the university computer as well as his personal laptop and digital media from home.

Gavin Swiatek is being held on $50,000 bail in Middlesex County Jail while a decision is made. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum 10 years in state prison.