Union County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

Jack Wilder, a Plainfield school teacher, faces up to 40 years in federal prison following discovery of illicit material on two devices.

A 27-year-old Union County man and school teacher has pleaded guilty to federal charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Jack Wilder, of Somerville, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court. He was charged via an Information with one count of receipt and one count of possession of child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2026.

According to court records and statements made in court, Wilder was employed as a teacher at a school in Plainfield at the time of the offenses. On or about July 23, 2024, Wilder returned from an international trip on a flight arriving in New York. Upon arrival, federal authorities seized his cell phone and later discovered images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Approximately one week after his phone was confiscated, Wilder acquired a new device. Between July 29, 2024, and May 1, 2025, he knowingly received additional child pornography on that second device, according to investigators.

The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, with a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and an identical fine.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith and is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to investigate and prosecute offenders and to rescue victims. More information about the initiative is available at justice.gov/psc.

Wilder remains subject to federal sentencing guidelines, and he has not yet been sentenced.