Crime & Safety

Former Newark Substitute Teacher Sentenced on Child Porn Charge

Barnard must serve five years, register as sex offender

An East Orange man who worked as a substitute teacher in the Newark public school system was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday for distributing child pornography, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced.


In March and April 2012, Tray Barnard, 33, used peer-to-peer file sharing software to circulate materials showing adult men and prepubescent girls. He was originally charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child but pled guilty to a second-degree charge of distributing child pornography under a plea deal struck with prosecutors.

Along with his prison sentence, Barnard must register as a Megan’s Law offender when he’s released.

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who trade in the sexual abuse images of young children,” said Assistant Prosecutor Walter Dirkin, who tried the case.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.