Former School Principal Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Porn

John Mangan, 79, received a decade-long sentence following a federal investigation that uncovered over 250 images of child sexual abuse, with prior convictions intensifying the case.

A 79-year-old man from Lanoka Harbor, Ocean County, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced on Monday. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp at the federal courthouse in Trenton.

John Mangan, who previously served as a school principal, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. The charge stems from an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence on October 29, 2024. Authorities discovered an electronic device containing more than 250 images depicting the sexual abuse of minors.

According to court records and statements made during the proceedings, Mangan has a criminal history that includes multiple prior offenses involving minors. These include a New Jersey state conviction for sexual assault against a minor while he was employed as a school principal and a previous federal conviction for possession of child pornography.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp also ordered Mangan to serve five years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the victims identified in the images.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton. The investigation was conducted by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation. The program coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and to identify and support child victims. More information about the initiative is available at justice.gov/psc.