By: Richard L. Smith
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer reported an essential development in a case involving possession of Explicit Images of Minors as Mr. Cesar Ortega-Zevallos, a 69-year-old resident of Brick Township, faces charges of serious charges.
The investigation that led to these charges stemmed from a referral by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The ICAC Task Force had received cyber-tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, indicating that an individual was uploading images of explicit images of minors to the internet.
Subsequently, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit initiated an investigation that pinpointed an IP address associated with a residence in Brick Township as the source of these uploads. Ultimately, the individual responsible for the uploads was identified as Ortega-Zevallos.
Ocean County officials said on November 16, detectives from multiple agencies executed a court-authorized search warrant at Ortega-Zevallos’ residence in Brick Township.
The collaborative effort included Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit personnel, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations-Newark, and the Brick Township Police Department.
During the search, a forensic examination of Ortega-Zevallos’ computer conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit uncovered a disturbing collection of over 1000 explicit images of minors.
Ortega-Zevallos was taken into custody at his residence without incident following the discovery. He has since been transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
Ocean County Prosecutor Billhimer expressed his commendation for the collaborative efforts of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, the Brick Township Police Department, the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations-Newark, the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Their joint efforts were instrumental in the arrest of Mr. Ortega-Zevallos and the discovery of the disturbing evidence.
The case remains an ongoing investigation, and further developments will be reported as they emerge.