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NOVA man guilty of downloading child sexual assault videos on BitTorrent

Crystal Graham
BitTorrent person at computer keyboard
(© dikushin – stock.adobe.com)

A German national man, who worked in a computer IT position for a U.S. outpost in northern Virginia, was sentenced Wednesday to six years and six months in prison for downloading child sexual abuse videos and images from BitTorrent, an advanced file-sharing network.

Peter Markus Kuttke, 49, who was residing in Reston, pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to receiving and downloading child sexual abuse material, or CSAM.

According to court documents, law enforcement learned that CSAM files were available for download on the file-sharing network from a user with an IP address associated with Kuttke’s residence.

On Dec. 1, 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Kuttke’s home and recovered electronic devices, including one with numerous CSAM videos and images.

Forensic analysis further confirmed that Kuttke had downloaded CSAM from BitTorrent, including videos depicting adults sexually assaulting prepubescent children.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]