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An Indian-origin man has pleaded guilty in a federal court in New Jersey to knowingly accessing child sexual exploitation material involving a prepubescent minor, the US Department of Justice said.

Abhishek Vijaykumar, a resident of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, admitted to accessing the illicit material in March 2024, according to a statement by the department.

Investigators found more than 200 images while examining Vijaykumar's electronic devices. Among the material was an image depicting the sexual abuse of a three-year-old child by an adult male, the US Justice Department said.

FBI Vows Continued Action

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said the guilty plea entered on Wednesday represented another step in efforts to fight child sexual exploitation.

"The FBI will continue its relentless quest to identify and stop those who abuse and exploit children," said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI's Newark Field Office.

Roddy described the guilty plea as a bittersweet victory, saying it acknowledged the victimisation of the children depicted in the material possessed by Vijaykumar.

Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison

Vijaykumar could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on January 6, 2027.

A federal district court judge will decide the sentence after taking into account the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the department said.

The case is being investigated by the FBI's Newark Field Office with assistance from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Cyber Crimes Unit in New Jersey.