An accomplished local restaurateur is facing three counts of child pornography, according to court documents filed Friday, Philadelphia Business Journal reports.
Alexander Capasso, a chef at popular locations like Rittenhouse Square's Crow & the Pitcher and the former Blackbird Dining Establishment in Collingswood, was arrested in July at his Collingswood home after allegedly exchanging photos of a nude prepubescent girl with an undercover officer who established contact with him via an online bulletin.
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In the course of the investigation, detailed in U.S. court filings, Capasso allegedly told the undercover officer that he had repeatedly engaged in sexual activities with a 5-year-old girl. Authorities said Capasso then exchanged photographs with the undercover detective and advanced the dialogue to communication by cellphone.
There were also explicit videos of the child with an adult woman performing sexual acts on the child. Capasso admitted to the undercover officer that he would watch the woman and child together, according to filings.
Capasso is facing three counts, including the sexual exploitation of a child, the distribution of child pornography and the possession of child pornography, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Camden.
Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, according to Philadelphia Business Journal. The production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.
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