Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a suspended Trenton police officer who was arrested last year in the multi-agency child protection initiative “Operation Safety Net” pleaded guilty today to possession of images exploiting children for sexual stimulation on the internet.
According to authorities, Paul Marinelli, 53, of South Brunswick, pleaded guilty today to third-degree possession of images exploiting children for sexual stimulation on the internet before Superior Court Judge Benjamin S. Bucca Jr. in Middlesex County.
Officials say under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that he be sentenced to 180 days in the county jail and a term of probation. Marinelli was suspended after his arrest and must forfeit his position on the police force as a result of the guilty plea.
The investigation began when the New Jersey State Police received information that emails containing images exploiting children for sexual stimulation were located in an iCloud email account maintained by Marinelli. The State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at Marinelli’s home and arrested him on Sept. 6, 2017, after an on-site preview revealed the images on a hard drive.
Detectives seized computer equipment including three laptops and USB flash and thumb drives. The equipment was taken to the New Jersey Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory, where a forensic examination revealed numerous images and three videos on the computer devices. The investigation did not reveal any evidence of distribution by Marinelli.
According to authorities, Marinelli was among 79 child predators and offenders arrested in “Operation Safety Net,” a multi-agency child protection operation conducted in 2017 by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police and includes the Division of Criminal Justice, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, all 21 County Prosecutors’ Offices, and many other state, county and local law enforcement agencies. Ten alleged “hands-on” offenders were arrested, including eight New Jersey men, as well as men in California and Indiana who allegedly tried to have children transported interstate from New Jersey for them to sexually assault.
Attorney General Grewal and Director Allende urged anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.