TRENTON, N.J. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - New Jersey), published as received.

TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County man was arraigned yesterday for attempted production and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

David Chapinski, 45, of Somerset, New Jersey, was charged in a three-count Indictment with attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  Chapinski was arraigned yesterday before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On August 31, 2025, David Chapinski was released from custody after completing multiple state sentences for child-exploitation, including creating “upskirting” photographs or videos of minors and possession of CSAM. Within days of his release, on September 2, 2025, Chapinski attempted to film or photograph up the skirt of a 13-year-old minor. Less than two weeks later, on September 13, 2025, Chapinski surreptitiously recorded up the skirt of a 17-year-old minor, when a nearby good Samaritan detained him. Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Chapinski’s phone and found hundreds of images of CSAM. Investigators also identified additional CSAM in Chapinski’s online accounts.

If convicted, and because Chapinski has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, Chapinski faces mandatory minimum prison sentences of 35 years’ imprisonment and maximum sentences of life imprisonment on the attempted production counts of the Indictment. If convicted of the possession count, Chapinski faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.  Each of the offenses carry a maximum fine of $250,000, in addition to restitution and other assessments.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited law enforcement members with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges.  He also thanked the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Vicent Sabo, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Bryan, and the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Linda Estremera, for their assistance with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Richard Potter, Esq.