NJ State Police Arrest Bergen County Men in Child Pornography Crackdown

New Jersey State Police have apprehended 40 people on charges of possessing child pornography.

The arrests were made as part of investigation called “Operation Statewide.” The major law enforcement operation focused on suspects who were allegedly using the Internet to download and upload illegal sexual images. The investigation took roughly six months, with NJ detectives tracing the illicit photographs to the suspects’ personal computers. The computers allegedly used by the suspects are located throughout New Jersey, including Bergen County, Essex County, and Passaic County.

While searching the suspects’ residences, police officers reportedly seized laptop and desktop computers that contained countless illicit photos of juveniles. According to NJ officials, one of the computers seized by law enforcement had more than 76,000 illegal sexual images.

All of the suspects placed under arrest by police have been charged with illegal possession of child pornography. Beyond that, most of the suspects also face criminal charges for child pornography distribution.

NJ State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes issued a statement praising law enforcement for the arrests and noting that child pornography possession is a crime that can lead to other sexual offenses like child molestation and sexual assault.

The suspects could be subject to severe criminal penalties in the case. If any of them is convicted on the charges of possessing child pornography, they could be sentenced to as many as 5 years in NJ State Prison.

For further information, view the NorthJersey.com article, “Four Bergen, Passaic Men among 40 Charged in Child Porn Probe.”