[ by Howard Haykin ] A former Allen & Overy partner was indicted on charges that he collected and distributed hundreds of images of child pornography.  The attorney, who had worked in the firm's capital markets group, faces 3 counts of advertising child pornography, 4 counts of distributing child pornography, and 1 count of possessing child pornography. Edward De Sear, 65, was arrested Thursday morning.  He had been arrested last year on one count of distribution of child pornography, and was released on a $250,000 bond and never entered a plea.  On Thursday, he was rearrested on the additional charges.   During his court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Arleon in Newark, NJ, De Sear consented to being incarcerated until today, Tuesday, when a hearing was scheduled in the case.  The attorney did not enter a plea. According to the 21-page indictment, that was unsealed Thursday morning, De Sear used peer-to-peer file-sharing programs to download and distribute images depicting young boys and girls being restrained and sexually abused.  Some of the images featured toddlers and infants, according to the indictment. The Newark U.S. Attorney's office claims that, in 2010, De Sear even used Allen & Overy's wireless Internet network to view the images.  During one of the sessions, according to the indictment, De Sear distributed multiple child pornography files to an undercover law enforcement agent. If convicted, De Sear faces a maximum of 180 years in prison and up to $2 million in fines. De Sear's Professional Bio. Prior to joining Allen & Overy in 2010, De Sear worked as a partner at several other large law firms, including Bingham McCutchen, McKee Nelson, and Milbank Tweed. A spokesperson for Allen & Overy did not return a request for comment. From 1968 to 1970, De Sear served as a personnel records specialist in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Columbia in 1968 and from UVa Law School in 1973. The case is: United States of America v. Edward De Sear, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, No. 11-8143. John Vazquez and Michael Critchley, of Critchley Kinum and Vazquez, are representing De Sear.   [Reuters, 8/23/12]