Monmouth County Grand Jury has returned a 6-count indictment charging a former NJ resident for sending sexually-explicit text messages to an undercover police officer who he believed to be an eleven-year old girl, announced Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean Township Police Department with the assistance of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit resulted in the arrest of a Massachusetts man in connection with sexual text message communications sent to an undercover police officer posing as an eleven-year old Monmouth County girl.
Officials said Michael Camacho, 55, formerly of Lake Como was arrested on Mar. 14th in New Bedford, Massachusetts and subsequently extradited to New Jersey
The investigation began when Camacho contacted a female child on her cell phone. An undercover detective with the Ocean Township Police Department took control of the child’s phone and began communicating with Camacho posing as the child. The communications between Camacho and the undercover detective spanned weeks. During the text message conversations with the undercover detective, Camacho discussed engaging in sexual activity with the child, sent obscene photographs of himself to the child, requested that the child send him photographs of herself, and discussed meeting up with the child.
The Ocean Township Police Department and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office located Camacho in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crime Division and New Bedford Police Department provided substantial assistance in locating Camacho in New Bedford and arresting him on the outstanding charges.
The indictment handed up today charges him with 1 count of second degree Luring, two counts of second degree Attempted Endangering the Welfare of a Child, two counts of third degree Attempted Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and one count of third degree Attempted Obscenity to a Minor.
According to authorities, Camacho faces a sentence of five to ten years in a New Jersey state prison and is subject to the provisions of Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life upon his release if convicted of any of the second-degree charges. He faces a sentence of three to five years in a New Jersey state prison on the third-degree charges.
A conviction of any of the third-degree Attempted Endangering charges would also invoke the provisions of Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.
The Honorable Paul X. Escandon, J.S.C. ordered that Camacho remain detained pending his trial in this matter after a detention hearing conducted on April 11, 2018.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.