A Virginia man is facing numerous charges after he allegedly forced a 13-year-old boy to send him sexually explicit images, authorities announced today.
Pettenger, 44, of Virginia, was arrested after contacting and engaging in sexually explicit chat messages with a 13-year-old, in which he would send and receive images depicting child pornography. During the chats, the victim was threatened by Pettenger, that unless he/she sent certain sexually explicit photographs to him, he would post previous photos of the victim to the Internet. Pettenger obtained those original photographs utilizing a fictitious identity of a teenager and befriending the victim on social media. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Computer Crimes Unit under the direction of Chief Carmen Martino, with assistance from detectives from the Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (I.C.A.C.). As a result of the investigation, a court authorized search warrant was executed at Pettenger’s residence in Virginia on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 by the detectives from the Virginia State Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit. Pettenger was subsequently charged with manufacturing child pornography, endangering the welfare of a child and cyber harassment. Prosecutor Molinelli states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.