By: Richard L. Smith
Burlington County officials that a 29-year-old Tabernacle man has been charged with exchanging explicit photos and videos with a minor female he met in an online chat room.
Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said in a statement Fredderico Soda was taken into custody Thursday at his residence and charged with Impairing/Debauching the Morals of a Minor, among other endangerment charges, including possession of explicit images.
Officials said electronic devices were seized during the execution of a search warrant at his residence, and detectives from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit will examine them.
He was placed in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court. The case will now be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.
The investigation began earlier this year after the Prosecutor’s Office received information from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children concerning Soda’s online activities.
The BCPO also received information from the Palmer Township, Pa., Police Department indicating they had been contacted by the victim’s parents concerning her online interaction with Soda.
The investigation revealed that Soda continued to interact and exchange photos with the victim after becoming aware that she was a minor.
The investigation further revealed that Soda was planning to meet the victim in person but had not done so prior to his arrest.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office is a member of the NJ ICAC Task Force. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.