By: Kafi Rosenbaum
Morris County authorities reported that charges have been filed against Mr. Antonino LaRosa, 26, of Morris Plains.
Officials said the defendant has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor.
The investigation began in April when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received complaints via Discord Inc. that a user had uploaded suspected CSAM files to its messaging platform.
Additional complaints were made to NCMEC from Reddit Inc. that a user, who allegedly utilized the same contact information and Internet Protocol (IP) address, had uploaded a suspected CSAM file to its social media platform.
Officials say it is alleged the IP address in question was associated with the defendant’s residence.
Additional investigation revealed direct messages authored by the suspect account discussing CSAM.
LaRosa was subsequently charged on a complaint summons and has a court appearance on August 2.