An Elizabeth man has been arrested and charged with collecting and sharing numerous images of child pornography online, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Wednesday.
Gustavo Llanes, 54, is charged with second-degree possession of child pornography and second-degree distribution of child pornography.
The five-month investigation revealed that Llanes repeatedly used his personal computer to share with others online numerous images portraying what appeared to be juvenile males engaged in various sexual acts.
Llanes was arrested early Tuesday morning at his home on the 800 block of East Jersey Street in Elizabeth, after which his personal computer and two external hard drives were seized.
Bail for Llanes was set at $75,000 by state Superior Court Judge Robert J. Mega, and he subsequently was lodged in Union County Jail.
Convictions on second-degree criminal charges can result in sentences of 5 to 10 years in state prison.