the prosecutors ' statement . Authorities allege he engaged in several instant messaging `` chats '' and e-mail communications with the undercover detective , posing as the woman and her daughter , from August to September . He is charged with five counts of distributing child pornography in interstate commerce . If convicted on each count , he would face a sentence of up to 140 years in prison -- up to 20 years for the first count and up to 40 years for each additional count , prosecutors said . Singer allegedly initiated contact with the undercover detective , posing as the mother , in an America On Line chat room called `` Cuties . '' The chat room attracts people who `` are known to trade in pornographic images , including child pornography , '' according to an affidavit filed in the case by a special agent who investigates child pornography and child exploitation for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . `` On five separate occasions in August 2007 , Singer sent several images of child pornography over the Internet to the mother and the daughter , including images depicting sexual acts between minors and adults and images
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chief operating officer of the National Children 's Museum was arrested Tuesday and is charged with distributing child pornography over the Internet , authorities said . Robert A . Singer is accused of sending images depicting child pornography to people he believed to be a 12-year-old girl and her 33-year-old mother , according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia of the Southern District of New York . In reality he was communicating with an undercover detective for the New York Police Department . Some of the pornographic images were sent from Singer 's computer at the museum , according to an affidavit filed in support of the charges by a special agent who investigates child pornography and child exploitation for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement . The Washington museum posted a message on its Web site saying officials there are `` horrified '' by news of Singer 's arrest . They reported that he has been suspended from his post , effective immediately , and is barred from the property . Singer , 49 , was arrested at his home in Falls Church , Virginia , by federal agents , according to