A New Jersey man, Drew Holzlein, was sentenced today to 350 months in prison for his role in distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a dark web site dedicated to trafficking such content. The 57-year-old from Manchester, New Jersey, served as a moderator on the illicit platform, which he actively participated in from approximately 2019 until his arrest in January 2024.
Holzlein shared thousands of sexually explicit images of nude, prepubescent minors with the site's users. A search of his home in January 2024 uncovered multiple electronic devices containing images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. During the search, Holzlein admitted to law enforcement that he had been an active member and moderator on the dark web site for years. He also has a prior conviction in New Jersey for two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said, “The court’s sentence today holds Drew Holzlein accountable for his role in helping run a community on the dark web dedicated to trafficking in visual depictions of minors being subjected to horrific acts of sexual abuse.” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey added that Holzlein "curated and sustained a marketplace of depravity" by serving as a moderator.
Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division highlighted that Holzlein "provided access to a platform where multiple perpetrators conspired to create and share CSAM." The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the FBI Newark Field Office investigated the case, which was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation.