Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Mount Laurel Police Department Chief Stephen Riedener announced that a 44-year-old Mount Laurel man has been charged with possessing explicit images of minors abuse material.
Officials said Mr. Joshua Hudson, of the first block of Old Centerton Pike, was arrested March 16 and charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree).
He was lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
Hudson was taken into custody at his residence following the execution of a search warrant. Multiple electronic devices were seized and will be examined by members of the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.
The investigation began in November after the High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Hudson’s online activities from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The investigation revealed Hudson used an online data storage system to maintain CSAM files.
The investigation was conducted by the High-Tech Crimes Unit and the Evesham Township Police (NJ) Department, with assistance from the Mount Laurel Township Police Department, the New Jersey State Police and United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office.
The lead investigator was Evesham Township Detective Christopher DeFrancesco, who is assigned to the High-Tech Crimes Unit as a Task Force Officer.
Hudson will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Eife, supervisor of the BCPO Special Victims Unit. The case will be presented to a grand jury for possible indictment.
The BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit and HSI – Cherry Hill are members of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NJ ICAC Task Force). The BCPO also belongs to the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.
All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.