Syracuse – by Douglass Dowty and Sara Patterson
Syracuse, NY — East Syracuse lawyer Martin J. Rothschild faces three years in state prison after he admitted this morning to promoting a sexual performance by a child.
Rothschild appeared before Onondaga County Court Judge Anthony Aloi on the child pornography charge, which was revealed by an indictment unsealed in court.
He admitted to one instance of possessing child pornography this morning, but Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said in a press conference after court that at least 30 videos were confiscated from computers at Rothschild’s Manlius home and East Syracuse law office.
Fitzpatrick said investigators conducted video surveillance on Rothschild to make “absolutely certain” they had enough evidence on him for a conviction.
Rothschild, who had not been charged with any crimes until this court appearance, decided to admit the charge as part of an agreement struck with prosecutors and the judge. He admitted to having the pornography involving a victim under the age of 17. Fitzpatrick said the pornography involved prepubescent children performing sexual acts on adults.
Rothschild will be sentenced to three years in prison, be forced to give up his longstanding personal injury law practice and register as a sex offender upon release, according to the agreement announced in court. He will face three years of post-release supervision.
Rothschild,59, was charged with a Class D felony, punishable by up to seven years in state prison.
Bail was set at $100,000 cash or bond until his sentencing this summer. Rothschild, wearing a dark suit, blue shirt and striped tie, was placed in handcuffs and escorted out of the courtroom by deputies. His wife, present in the courtroom, began to cry as soon as her husband was placed in handcuffs.
The agreement in County Court also puts to rest any criminal investigation by federal authorities, Aloi said.
The investigation of Rothschild became public in late February when federal and state authorities seized the personal computers from law office at 5781 Bridge St., Suite 33, and his residence, 7481 Armstrong Road in Manlius.
Fitzpatrick said at the time that the state police had executed search warrants based on information from a county law enforcement group that investigates crimes against children.
The indictment stated that Rothschild possessed the pornography from August 2012 to March 2013 in East Syracuse.
Rothschild remained mostly quiet in court, replying with a “Yes, your honor” to questions by the judge, except in one occasion.
The lawyers were discussing the nature of the charge, which said that he “produced, directed and promoted” a sexual performance by a child.
In this case, that meant having child pornography stored in a location that others could access, the lawyers agreed.
“I didn’t create the images in any way, shape or form,” Rothschild said. “They were on my computer for others to see.”
Many of the judicial proceedings — which can take months or years in some cases — were finished in a matter of minutes today.
Rothschild heard the charge against him, was arraigned, pleaded guilty and bail was set. Now, the probation department must do a pre-sentencing report before Rothschild can face the agreed-upon sentence.
Rothschild’s lawyer, Stephen Lance Cimino, said former state Supreme Court Judge John Cherundolo, who returned to private practice this week, would help take over Rothschild’s cases.
Fitzpatrick said Rothschild’s clients were probably “concerned, as they should be,” but he noted that they might feel more comfortable knowing their cases will be transferred to well-respected practitioner.
Fitzpatrick would not go into specifics about how Rothschild was caught because he said he didn’t “want to educate other perverts out there on how to evade detection.”
He said that Rothschild used an eraser program on his computer that made it “difficult, but not impossible to bring him to justice.”
Rothschild, a personal injury lawyer, is best known for his extensive ad campaignswith the tagline “The Rothschild Law Firm: a tough law firm, fighting for your rights.”
New York State Police Capt. Mark Lincoln, who also spoke at the press conference in the DA’s office, said he wanted to remind the public that child pornography cases are about more than the viewing of materials.
“Every one of these images shows an actual child who is being victimized,” he said.
Often, he said, the perpetrators in possession of child pornography are also involved in the abuse. However, he and Fitzpatrick made clear that Rothschild is not accused of disseminating the material he possessed or engaging in any sort of sexual relationship with a child.
Rothschild is due back in court for sentencing on June 20.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/04/east_syracuse_lawyer_martin_j.html#comments
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The truth will always come out eventually.
. . .
Sick f#%k.. This is the kind of trash that is lawyering our people?
Oh well I guess that that rothschild plead guilty so the punk rothschild could take group showers with members of his same? sex. lol. I hope he has big bubba for his cell mate.
Wow, 3 whole years in a private country club. He’s just being taken out of circulation like worn out fiat currency until a purpose is found for him later. Peadophilic and/or homosexual mindsets are the most attractive personality traits the elites search for in new members and it’s used to blackmail the unsuspecting sickos into towing the line. Dumb asses from the bottom up…
do i trust lawyers, hell no!
do i trust the feds, a double hell no!
ooh they caught one of their own. lets pretend we’re doing our job.
how bout changing outdated laws based on a so called journalist (can’t remember his name) who was also a pervert linked to other pervs the government paid to document these said perversions. and of course his findings were acceptable. i think aleister crowley was even mentioned.
notice how they trot out he was only in possession of not caught engaging in.
was he set up? i guess we will never know.
A Rothschild family member facing prison. Is that even possible?
HaHaHa, the lesser of two evils NC They are still both evil.