Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino today announced arrests of 79 child predators and Explicit Images of Minors offenders in “Operation Safety Net,” a nine-month, multi-agency child protection initiative led by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Partnering agencies targeted sex offenders who exploited the internet and social media, making arrests in every New Jersey county and deploying, for the first time, a new van equipped as a mobile cyber forensics lab, as well as a new canine trained to sniff out electronic devices, to assist in execution of search warrants.
Those arrested in Operation Safety Net included 10 “hands-on” offenders, including child predators in California and Indiana who allegedly tried to have children transported interstate from New Jersey by adult traffickers so they could have sex with the children; four men in New Jersey who allegedly sought to lure children for sex; a camp counselor who allegedly sexually assaulted a girl, 14, under his supervision; a youth minister who allegedly sent lewd photos of himself to a young girl; and a man, 24, who allegedly used a phone app to record underage girls performing sex acts on themselves.
Those arrested also included numerous defendants, ranging in age from 14 to 75, who allegedly amassed and/or distributed large collections of Explicit Images of Minors, including a Trenton police officer, a swimming coach, a piano teacher, an IT professional from Morris County who allegedly had over 138,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors (possibly over one million), a mechanic from Mercer County who allegedly had over 10,000 files of Explicit Images of Minors, and three brothers in Cumberland County who allegedly had nearly 5,000 files of Explicit Images of Minors.
“The men we arrested lurked in the shadows of the internet and social media, looking for opportunities to sexually assault young children or to view such unspeakable assaults by sharing Explicit Images of Minors,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We set up a wide safety net in this operation to snare these alleged predators and to protect children, which remains our highest priority. With our new mobile forensics lab and electronics-sniffing dog, we’re even better equipped to uncover the evidence that will keep these offenders behind bars, where they cannot threaten or further exploit vulnerable victims.”
“We charged 10 men with hands-on predatory conduct against children, including attempted interstate trafficking of children for sex, sexual assault, luring, sending obscene images to a child, or manufacturing explicit Images of Minors,” said Attorney General Porrino. “These cases highlight the fact that viewing explicit Images of Minors is part of a continuum of deviant behavior that often leads to or drives other sex crimes.”
“The charges against Castillo reveal a dangerous child predator who went to great lengths in the belief that he was flying two very young girls to California so he could sexually assault them,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Had we not arrested him with our federal and California partners, the allegations indicate he would have continued to seek victims, including children as young as toddlers.”
In addition to investigating numerous cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the ICAC Task Force in Operation Safety Net conducted proactive investigations to apprehend offenders by monitoring peer-to-peer file-sharing networks and identifying the IP addresses of individuals sharing Explicit Images of Minors. Detectives also conducted undercover chat investigations on social media platforms, which led to arrests of alleged hands-on offenders and defendants attempting to lure children.
Two proactive investigations initiated by the New Jersey State Police extended beyond New Jersey’s borders – with assistance from other state and federal authorities – to apprehend defendants charged with allegedly attempting to arrange the interstate trafficking of young children for sex:
· George Castillo, 36, of Inglewood, Calif., faces federal charges of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and production of Explicit Images of Minors, as well as New Jersey charges including first-degree conspiracy to commit child trafficking. Castillo allegedly solicited an undercover New Jersey State Police detective – who pretended to be trafficking children – to fly a 4-year-old girl to Los Angeles so he could sexually assault her. He also allegedly solicited an undercover police detective in Washington, D.C., who posed as a father, to bring his “daughter,” 9, to Los Angeles for sex at the same time the undercover from New Jersey was expected to arrive with the other girl. He was arrested on April 4 at Los Angeles International Airport when he arrived to meet the girls and their adult escorts. The undercover investigators identified Castillo in separate investigations targeting pedophiles using the internet and social media.
· Joseph Donohew, 26, of Brownsburg, Indiana, is charged in Indiana with attempted child molestation. He allegedly offered money to an undercover New Jersey State Police detective, whom he met on an instant messaging platform, to have sex with a 9-year-old girl. The undercover represented that he had a daughter, 9, and Donohew allegedly sent him $100 as a down payment to bring the girl to Indiana for sex. Donohew was arrested on July 13 at a gas station in Indiana, where he allegedly was to meet the father and girl. He had purchased a nightgown for the girl depicting characters from a Disney movie he believed was her favorite.
Eight other defendants were arrested in New Jersey in Operation Safety Net on charges related to various types of alleged “hands-on” conduct, including sexual assault, luring a child, conveying obscene materials to a child, and manufacturing Explicit Images of Minors:
1. William Esker, 22, of Bayonne, N.J., was charged on Sept. 7 by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with aggravated criminal sexual contact for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a girl, 14, over whom he had direct supervision as a camp counselor. He also is charged with providing obscene material to a child and endangering the welfare of a child.
2. Donald Beckwith, 34, of Browns Mills, N.J., is charged in Delaware with sexual solicitation of a minor and attempt to commit unlawful sexual contact with a minor. Beckwith, a captain in the Air Force stationed in New Jersey, met a girl, 14, through an online chat group for children and allegedly engaged her in sexual conversations, ultimately asking her to meet him in person. He allegedly met the girl twice in Delaware. The first time, he allegedly reached under her shirt and tried to touch her breast, and the second time he allegedly hugged her and repeatedly asked her to lie on a bed in the back of his vehicle and watch a movie with him. The New Jersey State Police arrested Beckwith on Aug. 16 in an investigation initiated by the Delaware State Police. Detectives allegedly found over 10 nude images of an underage girl on his phone.
3. Michael DeBlock, 22, of Hopatcong, N.J., a youth minister, was arrested on Oct. 10 and charged by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office with possession of Explicit Images of Minors and conveying obscene materials to a child. DeBlock allegedly exchanged sexual photos and texts with a girl, 14, including a photo of his penis.
4. Brandon Morris, 24, of Hammonton, N.J., was arrested on Oct. 17 and charged by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office with manufacturing Explicit Images of Minors, endangering the welfare of a child by sexual conduct, conveying obscene materials to a child, and possession of explicit Images of Minors. Morris allegedly engaged multiple underage girls in conversations on FaceTime, instructing them to perform sexual acts on themselves, which he recorded.
5. A 17-year-old student from Bergen County, whose name is not being released due to his juvenile status, was arrested on Aug. 17 and charged by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with manufacturing, distributing and possessing Explicit Images of Minors, as well as invasion of privacy. The juvenile allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors on his electronic devices, including video recordings he allegedly made by hiding his smartphone in a private bathroom in order to record underage boys who were nude, showering or urinating.
6. Craig Kirschner, 39, of Marlboro, N.J., was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with luring a child, attempted sexual assault of a minor, and conveying obscene material to a minor. Kirschner allegedly solicited an undercover detective, whom he believed to be a 15-year-old male, to meet for oral sex. The detective was monitoring a mobile app when he encountered Kirschner. After the undercover detective identified himself as a 15-year-old boy, Kirschner allegedly sent him photos of an erect penis, asked him to meet for oral sex, and stated: “I can be generous for your trouble.”
7. Isaac Toney, 40, of Trenton, N.J., was arrested on July 17 by the New Jersey State Police and charged with luring a child. He allegedly used a mobile app to solicit an undercover detective, whom he believed was a 14-year-old male, for oral sex. He was arrested at Veterans Park in Hamilton, Mercer County, where he allegedly was to meet the “boy” for a sexual encounter.
8. Robert Elmi, 63, of Gillette, N.J., was arrested by the New Jersey State Police on Nov. 9 on a charge of luring a child. Elmi had placed an ad on Craigslist soliciting a relationship with a younger female. An undercover State Police detective responded, posing as a young girl and indicating to Elmi that she was 13. Elmi allegedly communicated with the “13-year-old” for several weeks by text and email, ultimately arranging to meet her at a diner. He allegedly told the “girl” he would take her back to his apartment, where they would drink, watch TV, kiss and perform oral sex on each other. Elmi was arrested by the State Police at the diner.
Forty-one defendants are charged with second-degree distribution of Explicit Images of Minors, which carries a sentence of five to 10 years in prison, and 66 defendants are charged with third-degree possession of Explicit Images of Minors , which carries a sentence of three to five years in prison. Out of the 41 charged with distribution, six are charged with distributing 25 items or more, and therefore are subject, if convicted, to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison under the strict Explicit Images of Minors law signed by Governor Christie in August 2013. Out of the 66 defendants charged with possession, 25 are charged with possession of 100 or more items and are subject to a presumption of imprisonment under that law, even if they have no prior criminal record.
More of the defendants may face those enhanced charges and penalties once full forensic examinations of their computers and electronic devices are completed.
Governor Christie on July 21, 2017, signed a new law which will take effect Feb. 1, 2018, and will further enhance penalties for possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors. The new law expanded the definition of Explicit Images of Minors to include child erotica. In addition, the new law makes it a first-degree crime to distribute 1,000 or more items depicting the sexual exploitation of a child, with a mandatory parole ineligibility period of one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed. The new law also makes it a first degree crime to possess 100,000 or more items of Explicit Images of Minors, and a second-degree crime to possess anywhere between 1,000 and 99,999. Under the new law, videos depicting the sexual exploitation of a child will count more heavily than still images, each counting for 10 images.
Eleven defendants arrested in Operation Safety Net would qualify as second-degree “super-possessors” under the new law to go into effect in 2018. Because it was not in effect when they were arrested, they cannot be charged under the tough new law, but these 11 arrests illustrate how offenders routinely amass huge collections of Explicit Images of Minors, which soon will make them subject to the enhanced penalties:
1. William Camargo, 48, of Millington, N.J., an IT professional, allegedly had more than 138,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors, and possibly more than one million files (determination awaiting full forensic examinations of computer equipment);
2. Callen Kapschock, 55, of Hamilton, Mercer County, N.J., a mechanic, allegedly had more than 10,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors;
3. Md F. Uddin, 43, of Elizabeth, N.J., an engineer, allegedly had more than 5,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors;
4. Kody Knotts, 22, of Millville, N.J., along with his two brothers immediately below, allegedly had a combined total of nearly 5,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors;
5. Alexander Knotts, 27, of Millville, N.J.;
6. Kyle Knotts, 23, of Millville, N.J.;
7. Laurence Duque, 42, of Dayton, N.J., allegedly had over 4,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors;
8. Gregory Piszczek, 35, of Woodbridge, N.J., an IT professional, allegedly had over 4,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minorsy;
9. Kevin Groeger, 63, of Cranford, N.J., a postal worker, allegedly had over 2,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors;
10. Pasquale “Charles” Albano, 75, of Point Pleasant, N.J., allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors; and
11. Juvenile Male, 17, referenced above, allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected Explicit Images of Minors.
Operation Safety Net made extensive use of two key new tools: an electronics detection canine and a mobile forensics van. Both contributed greatly to the success of the operation. As electronic devices become smaller and easier to hide, the importance of dogs trained to detect them increases. There are thumb drives available that are hidden in or disguised as cuff links, bracelets, LEGO blocks, coins and other everyday items.
Throughout the operation, the canine was used at State Police and Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) search warrant scenes. The canine was used for a preliminary walk-through and would identify devices and loose electronic storage media not in plain view. The detectives would then thoroughly search the area where that evidence was found to ensure all digital evidence was recovered.
Rapid triage of computers at search sites – also called forensic previewing – is a critical component of Explicit Images of Minors investigations. Such forensic previewing can result in the immediate arrest of individuals who otherwise might be left to continue direct illicit sexual contact with minors, preventing further abuse of victims. The previewing of computers at search sites has often had to occur in close proximity to the alleged perpetrator and often in potentially dangerous environments.
The following 58 additional men were arrested in Operation Safety Net on charges of possession and/or distribution of Explicit Images of Minors:
1. Paul Marinelli, 52, of South Brunswick, N.J., a Trenton police officer, charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
2. James Cutrone, 54, of Hazlet, N.J., a youth swim coach, charged with distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
3. Bryan San Andreas, 37, of Toms River, N.J., a piano teacher, charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
4. John Parsons, 50, of Vineland, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
5. Donald Williams, 39, of Camden, N.J., charged with distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
6. Kevin Wenng, 35, of Cliffwood Beach, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
7. Victor Kurynow, 58, of Bedminster, N.J., charged with attempted possession of Explicit Images of Minors and conveying obscene materials to a minor.
8. Paul Fuhs, 44, of Laurel Springs, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
9. Ryan Stemetzki, 26, of Maple Shade, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
10. Robert Ruff, 56, of Delran, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
11. Robert King, 63, of North Wildwood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
12. Jason Locke, 42, of Manchester, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
13. Stephen Slawinski, 60, of Morris Plains, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
14. Herbert Ferreira, 43, of Dover, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
15. Joseph Maruca, 26, of Berkeley Township, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
16. James Gilbertson, 60, of Manchester, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
17. Christopher Todd, 49, of Lyndhurst, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
18. Alexis Gonzalez, 28, of Hackensack, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
19. Raul Rodriguez, 33, of Jersey City, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
20. Dhanendhran Govender, 32, of East Windsor, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
21. Luis Pacheco-Loja, 30, of Belleville, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
22. Robert White, 66, of Morristown, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
23. Jonathan Latiff 40, of Jersey City, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
24. Anthony Gerace, 43, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., charged with distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
25. Antonio Baang, 26, of Galloway Township, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
26. Richard Lake, 65, of Trenton, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
27. Federico Flores, 29, of Rahway, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
28. James Agin, 69, of Westwood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
29. Fortino Rosales-Rodriguez, 22, of Oaklyn, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
30. Justin Saavedra, 22, of Clifton, N.J., charged with distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
31. Daniel Braz, 39, of South River, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
32. Nelson Cintron, Jr., 54, of Collingswood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
33. Michael Brown, 28, of Pennsauken, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
34. Erik Baez, 38, of Sicklerville, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
35. Larry Gonzalez, 45, of Elizabeth, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
36. Erik Johnson, 49, charged by Union County Prosecutor’s Office with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
37. Marco Biason, 68, of Dover, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
38. Brian Neilson, 55, of Metuchen, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
39. Thomas Smith, 54, of Woodstown, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
40. Zachary Brawer, 31, of Paramus, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
41. Brian J. Gardner, 74, of Nutley, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
42. John T. Ruffner, 37, of Lumberton, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
43. John Skubiak, 62, of Deptford, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
44. Nicholas J. Novak, 66, of Ocean Township, Monmouth County, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
45. Eric MacAfee, 41, of Seaside Heights, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
46. Jeison Padilla, 29, of Somerville, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors and conveying obscene materials to a minor.
47. Justin England, 31, of North Plainfield, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
48. Eric Yourish, 61, of North Plainfield, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
49. Christopher Dunham, 22, of Rockaway, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
50. Justin Piccola, 23, of Randolph, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
51. Nicolas Bencze, 36, of Maywood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
52. Michael Yosco, 70, of Garfield, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
53. Male Juvenile, age 14, of Bergen County, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
54. Julio Garcia, 29, of Bridgeton, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
55. Joseph Lawitz, 34, of Hamilton, Mercer County, N.J., charged with possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
56. James Livas, 22, of Hopatcong, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
57. Robert Fuscarino, 27, of Hopatcong, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
58. Donovan Roots, 19, of Pilesgrove, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
The charges against the defendants in Operation Safety Net are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.