Detroit JCC Counsellor Won’t Face Local Charges for Kiddie Porn
A former counselor at a JCC day camp in suburban Detroit who is facing federal child pornography charges will not be charged locally.
Matthew David Kuppe, 21, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was charged in federal court in August with possessing, producing and distributing child pornography after allegedly filming prepubescent boys in the JCC locker room and sharing the photos online.
But the Oakland Prosecutor’s Office has decided not to charge Kuppe following an investigation into the case, the Detroit Free Press reported, citing West Bloomfield Police Chief Michael Patton. Investigators could not find evidence that Kuppe committed any state level violations, according to the newspaper. Patton said the local investigation would be concluded pending any new information.
Kuppe, who would have been a senior this year at Michigan State University, continues to be held without bond in the federal case. His attorney has filed a motion with U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn to release him into the custody of his parents ahead of his trial.
Kuppe worked at the JCC of Metropolitan Detroit’s day camp for two years, at one point supervising its special-needs campers. Under questioning, he allegedly admitted to posting nude photos of boys on a foreign website using the handle “jcclockerroom.” His account contained several emails with child pornography.
If convicted, Kuppe faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
