Philly Child Protection Agency Contractor Charged in Child Porn Case
IT consultant Charles Borrelli helped build the case-management system that tracks at-risk children under DHS care in Philadelphia.
Charles Borrelli mugshot. (Photo via the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office)
A longtime contractor with the Philadelphia Department of Human Services has been arrested and charged in New Jersey with possession of child pornography.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office charged 55-year-old Voorhees resident Charles Borrelli with third-degree possession of child pornography after detectives with the county’s High-Tech Crimes Unit conducted a search of Borrelli’s home on Rollingwood Drive. Investigators seized numerous digital devices from his residence. He was arrested at his home last Friday without incident.
Borrelli is the owner of Dynamic Sights, an IT consulting firm that has been around since 1994, according to a bio on the company’s since-deleted website. The services offered by Dynamic Sights included web design, IT project management, and drone and event photography.
For the past 15 years, Borrelli worked directly with DHS, which is responsible for the well-being of thousands of at-risk children in Philadelphia. He was part of a team that built and maintained the IT infrastructure at DHS, including a case-management system that allows caseworkers to track children and their families.
According to two DHS sources, Borrelli had unfettered access to databases that include personal information about the children under DHS care. Borelli has not been charged with directly harming or exploiting children, and authorities have not alleged that he made any improper use of the database information.
DHS spokesperson Alicia Taylor says that all DHS contractors who work directly with children undergo clearances in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law, but that contractors who do not work with children are not subject to the same requirements. Taylor insists that Borrelli did not have direct contact with children as part of his IT contract with them. The agency’s 2013 annual report includes a photo credited to a “Charles Borrelli” that was taken of a child at a DHS event.
“DHS was surprised and horrified to learn of the charges against Mr. Borrelli,” says Taylor. “DHS learned of his arrest on December 11th from an online news article and promptly contacted law enforcement. We are currently cooperating fully with authorities.”
Borrelli was released from jail pending trial. He did not return a call seeking comment.
