A Plainsboro man has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison after investigators discovered nearly 2 million images and videos of child sexual abuse hidden in his home, authorities said.
Derek McDonough, 45, was convicted Feb. 21 of first-degree possession of child pornography and fourth-degree tampering with evidence following a trial in Middlesex County Superior Court.
Judge Thomas Abode imposed the sentence on May 15, according to a joint statement issued by Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Plainsboro Police Chief Eamon Blanchard.
McDonough will be ineligible for parole for 12 years. After serving his time, he must register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will remain under Parole Supervision for Life.
The charges stemmed from a cyber tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2022 regarding potential illegal online activity traced to McDonough.
The tip launched an investigation led by Detective Daniel Lojek of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.
On Sept. 1, 2022, detectives from the Prosecutor’s Office and Plainsboro Township Police executed a court-authorized search warrant at McDonough’s home.
During the search, officers discovered multiple electronic devices—including a laptop, cell phone, and external hard drives—concealed behind a washer and dryer in his laundry area.
Those devices were seized and subjected to forensic analysis, which uncovered nearly 2 million photo and video files containing child sexual abuse material, officials said.
The weeklong trial was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Tina Swenor and former Assistant Prosecutor Rowa Altattan. Prosecutors presented evidence that McDonough had knowingly amassed one of the largest troves of illegal child abuse content in a Middlesex County case.
McDonough is currently being held at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in Chesterfield Township, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
Officials also confirmed that McDonough had a prior arrest in 2010 for allegedly attempting to lure a 13-year-old child on MySpace, though he was not convicted in that case.
Authorities credited interagency collaboration and advanced forensic techniques for successfully securing the conviction and lengthy sentence in what they described as one of the most significant child exploitation cases in the region in recent years.
“This investigation and prosecution demonstrate our continued commitment to protecting children and holding accountable those who exploit them,” Ciccone said in the statement. “The sheer volume of material found in this case is deeply disturbing.”
