A series of investigations led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit and the Monmouth County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has resulted in the arrests of 14 individuals since January 2022 and also two recent sentencings, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Thursday.
The majority of these investigations originated via CyberTips that were forwarded to our office by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which revealed that these defendants used social media platforms to possess child sexual abuse material.
The following individuals have been criminally charged with the following:
- Earl Grant, 40, of Neptune, was arrested on January 21, 2022 and is charged with one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Grant is represented by Guillermo Arango, Esq. of New Brunswick.
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Earl Grant, of Neptune
- Michael Hernandez, 21, of Colts Neck, was arrested on February 24, 2022, and is charged with one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Hernandez is represented by Mark Bernstein, Esq. of Cherry Hill.
Michael Hernandez, of Colts Neck
- Stephen Galiatsatos, 38, Neptune Township, who was employed as a ride share driver, was arrested on March 10, 2022, and is charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Galiatsatos is represented by Anthony Aldorasi, Esq. of Freehold.
Stephen Galiatsatos, Neptune Twp
- Jeffery Hitt, 74, of Middletown, who is retired, was arrested on March 21, 2022, and is charged with one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials) and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Hitt is represented by Tara Breslow, Esq. of Freehold.
Jeffery Hitt, of Middletown
- Michael Mezzina, 61, of Holmdel Township, was arrested on March 29, 2022, after the Holmdel Township Police Department received a report from an electronics store employee that child sexual abuse materials were found on a laptop computer that Mezzina dropped off for repair. Mezzina was charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Mezzina is represented by Abraham Basch, Esq. of Eatontown.
Michael Mezzina, of Holmdel
- William Grimmer, 58, of Ocean Township, was arrested on April 21, 2022 and charged with third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Grimmer is represented by Albert Rescinio, Esq. of Ocean Township.
William Grimmer, of Ocean Twp
- Yang Chen, 27, of Aberdeen Township, was arrested on April 14, 2022 and is charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Chen is represented by Carlos Diaz – Cobo, Esq. of Freehold.
Yang Chen, of Aberdeen
- Ryan Cutaneo, 22, of Howell, was arrested on April 28, 2022, and is charged with one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Cutaneo is represented by Thomas Huth, Esq of Red Bank.
Ryan Cutaneo, of Howell
- Calvin Martinez, 31, of Ocean Township, was arrested on May 12, 2022 and is charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Martinez is represented by Peter O’Mara, Esq.
Calvin Martinez, of Ocean Twp
- Santiago Reyes-Carrada, 30, of Keyport, was arrested on May 5, 2022 and is charged with one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Reyes-Carrada is represented by Mark Casazza, Esq. of Hazlet.
(No photo of defendant)
- Brian Flynn, 31, of Hazlet, a sales representative, was arrested on May 24, 2022; following an investigation which revealed that he used Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing software to create child pornography files available to others online. Flynn is charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, second-degree (Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials) and one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Flynn is represented by Mitch Ansell, Esq. of Ocean Township.
Brian Flynn, of Hazlet
- Kenneth Ayala, 21, of Hazlet Township, was arrested on May 25, 2022 and is charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Ayala is represented by William Wackowski, Esq. of Ocean Township.
Kenneth Ayala, of Hazlet
- Osama Hassaballa, 37, of Ocean Township, a taxi driver, was arrested on June 9, 2022, and is charged with one count of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Hassaballa is represented by Lisa Maglone, Esq. of Freehold.
Osama Hassaballa, of Ocean Twp
- Brian Picardi, 60, of Keansburg, who was arrested on June 16, 2022 and is charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Child Sexual Abuse Materials). Picardi is represented by Lisa Maglone, Esq. of Freehold.
Brian Picardi, of Keansburg
These investigations were referred from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The MCPO has been an affiliate member of ICAC since 2020.