By: Najla Alexander
A Warren County man is charged with producing sexual abuse material of a young female toddler and sharing it on the internet, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP), reported today.
Police say the arrest results from an investigation launched by the NJSP Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICACU) after law enforcement in Colorado reported finding images and videos of the child during the arrest of a man charged with possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to officials Jabari Amador, 22, of Phillipsburg, was charged with first-degree Endangering the Welfare of Children for Manufacturing Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (CSAEM); second-degree Sexual Assault; second-degree Endangering the Welfare of Children for Distribution of over 25 items of CSAEM; and third-degree Endangering the Welfare of Children for Possession of CSAEM.
"People who manufacture and traffic in child sexual abuse materials inflict unimaginable harm on victims who often suffer from it throughout their entire lives," said Attorney General Platkin.
"We will do everything we can to stop adults who abuse, exploit and hurt children and hold them accountable for their crimes."
"Our law enforcement partnerships extend well beyond state lines, and I applaud the efforts of the State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and the Boulder Colorado District Attorney's Office for their collaborative efforts in bringing Amador to justice for his sadistic actions," said Colonel Callahan.
"We remain committed to targeting these offenders to preserve the innocence of the most vulnerable victims."
"This case is a great example of how law enforcement nationwide is working together across state lines to confront the threat of online predators and protect our children," said Director Pearl Minato of the Division of Criminal Justice.
"I thank the Boulder Colorado District Attorney's Office for alerting us to a suspected threat to children here in New Jersey, and I applaud the NJSP ICACU team, the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau, and other law enforcement agencies in this state for working quickly to identify the suspect, execute a search warrant, and make an arrest in less than 12 hours."
On Thursday, January 12, ICACU detectives were contacted by the Boulder Colorado District Attorney's Office regarding a suspect arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material, officials said.
During a forensic exam of the suspect's digital devices, officials stated, detectives discovered child sexual abuse material of a 3-year-old female on a messaging app.
Boulder detectives determined that the material was sent from an individual who resided in New Jersey.
Through various investigative means, ICACU detectives identified Amador as the suspect responsible for sharing child sexual abuse material.
Late that same night, ICACU detectives, along with members of the NJSP TEAMS Unit, Crime Scene Investigations North Unit, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, and Phillipsburg Police Department, with assistance from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau, within the Office of the Attorney General, executed a search warrant at the defendant's home in Phillipsburg, officials say.
Authorities say as a result of the search, detectives seized numerous digital devices from the residence and determined that Amador produced and distributed the child sexual abuse material. Amador is being held in the Warren County Jail pending trial.
The New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice is prosecuting the case.