A Middletown Township man has been charged after authorities allege they traced the online sharing of child sexual abuse material to his residence.
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Derek Eckhart, 37, was preliminarily arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Charles Jonas on charges of dissemination of photos or film of child sex acts, possession of child sexual abuse material, and criminal use of a communication facility.
The investigation began last July when a Middletown Township police detective, who was monitoring peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, identified an IP address actively downloading and distributing suspected illicit content.
Law enforcement officials said they traced the digital trail to a home in the Langhorne section of the township.
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According to police, investigators downloaded files from the computer associated with the address.
Further investigation identified Eckhart as a resident of the home.
On Nov. 13, 2025, investigators from Middletown Township police, the Bucks County Detectives, and officers from several other local departments executed a search warrant at the North Hawthorne Avenue home.
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Court documents show that Eckhart acknowledged using a peer-to-peer network during the encounter but declined to speak further with investigators.
During the search, authorities seized several electronic devices, including an external hard drive located in the basement, police said.
A forensic analysis of the hard drive revealed numerous files containing child sexual abuse material, investigators said.
The files recovered, according to police, include child sexual abuse material involving children, adults, and dogs.
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Eckhart was released on $75,000 unsecured bail after coming before the district judge.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
