HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A child porn bust in New Jersey netted nearly 80 arrests, including 14- and 17-year-old boys, prosecutors said.
The complaint alleges that the victims were as young as 2 or 4.
“Most of the child pornography cases involved videos where children, young children, are depicted being raped,” said Attorney General Christopher Porrino.
The Attorney General announced Friday the results Friday of a 9-month child protection operation run by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The investigation reached as far as California, where one man was arrested for trafficking in children from New Jersey for an alleged sex party.
Investigators said George Castillo, 36, of Inglewood, California thought he was picking up a 4-year-old and 9-year-old girl from LAX but instead he was met by detectives. He allegedly had a stuffed animal and sex toys stashed in his car.
Some of the men communicated with detectives online, who pretended to be children or parents who were willing to sell their children for sex.
Other arrests include a youth minister, Michael DeBlock, 22, of Hopatcong; a 17-year-old Bergen county student accused of recording other kids in a bathroom; a Toms River piano teacher named Bryan San Andreas, 37; a Trenton Police officer; and James Cutrone, 52, a Hazlet swimming coach.
“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 child pornography,” said Attorney General Porrino.
Investigators showed off some of the new technology they used to make the arrests, including a mobile cyber crime forensics van equipped with devices that can scan phones or computers for child porn. They also introduced reporters to Mega, one of the newest members of the State Police.
Mega, 2, is a German shepherd who can sniff out digital devices like an iPhone or external hard drive. He can pick up on the scent of a chemical that’s inside the devices called TPPO. Mega is the only K-9 in the country who can sniff out these pieces of digital evidence and apprehend a criminal if he or she tries to make a run for it.
“We’ve made these proactive child protection investigations a top priority by adding more staff for them at the state level and considerable new resources, including the mobile forensics lab and electronics detection dog,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice.
The men arrested could face decades in prison if convicted. The attorney general urged parents to stay vigilant and educate their children about the danger of predators online before and after giving them gifts such as a new iPhone this holiday.
Prosecutors identified the suspects and their charges as follows:
- 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 child pornography, as well as New Jersey charges including first-degree conspiracy to commit child trafficking.
- Joseph Donohew, 26, of Brownsburg, Ind., is charged in Indiana with attempted child molestation.
- 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.
- 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 is a captain in the Air Force stationed in New Jersey.
- Michael DeBlock, 22, of Hopatcong, N.J., a youth minister, was charged by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office with possession of child pornography and conveying obscene materials to a child. DeBlock allegedly exchanged sexual photos and texts with a girl, 14, including a photo of his penis.
- Brandon Morris, 24, of Hammonton, N.J., was charged by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office with manufacturing child pornography, endangering the welfare of a child by sexual conduct, conveying obscene materials to a child, and possession of child pornography.
- A 17-year-old student from Bergen County, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, was charged by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with manufacturing, distributing and possessing child pornography, as well as invasion of privacy. He allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected child pornography on his electronic devices.
- Craig Kirschner, 39, of Marlboro, N.J., was 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.
- Isaac Toney, 40, of Trenton, N.J., was charged with luring a child, allegedly using a mobile app to do so.
- Robert Elmi, 63, of Gillette, N.J., faces one charge of luring a child, allegedly using a Craigslist ad to solicit a relationship with a younger female.
- William Camargo, 48, of Millington, N.J., an IT professional , allegedly had more than 138,000 files of suspected child pornography, and possibly more than one million files (determination awaiting full forensic examinations of computer equipment);
- Callen Kapschock, 55, of Hamilton, Mercer County, N.J., a mechanic, allegedly had more than 10,000 files of suspected child pornography;
- Md F. Uddin, 43, of Elizabeth, N.J., an engineer, allegedly had more than 5,000 files of suspected child pornography;
- 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 child pornography;
- Alexander Knotts, 27, of Millville, N.J.;
- Kyle Knotts, 23, of Millville, N.J.;
- Laurence Duque, 42, of Dayton, N.J., allegedly had over 4,000 files of suspected child pornography;
- Gregory Piszczek, 35, of Woodbridge, N.J., an IT professional, allegedly had over 4,000 files of suspected child pornography;
- Kevin Groeger, 63, of Cranford, N.J., a postal worker, allegedly had over 2,000 files of suspected child pornography;
- Pasquale “Charles” Albano, 75, of Point Pleasant, N.J., allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected child pornography; and
- Juvenile Male, 17, referenced above, allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected child pornography.
- Paul Marinelli, 52, of South Brunswick, N.J., a Trenton police officer, charged with possession of child pornography.
- James Cutrone, 54, of Hazlet, N.J., a youth swim coach, charged with distribution of child pornography.
- Bryan San Andreas, 37, of Toms River, N.J., a piano teacher, charged with possession of child pornography.
- John Parsons, 50, of Vineland, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Donald Williams, 39, of Camden, N.J., charged with distribution of child pornography.
- Kevin Wenng, 35, of Cliffwood Beach, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Victor Kurynow, 58, of Bedminster, N.J., charged with attempted possession of child pornography and conveying obscene materials to a minor.
- Paul Fuhs, 44, of Laurel Springs, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Ryan Stemetzki, 26, of Maple Shade, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Robert Ruff, 56, of Delran, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Robert King, 63, of North Wildwood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Jason Locke, 42, of Manchester, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Stephen Slawinski, 60, of Morris Plains, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Herbert Ferreira, 43, of Dover, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Joseph Maruca, 26, of Berkeley Township, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- James Gilbertson, 60, of Manchester, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Christopher Todd, 49, of Lyndhurst, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Alexis Gonzalez, 28, of Hackensack, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Raul Rodriguez, 33, of Jersey City, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Dhanendhran Govender, 32, of East Windsor, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Luis Pacheco-Loja, 30, of Belleville, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Robert White, 66, of Morristown, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Jonathan Latiff 40, of Jersey City, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Anthony Gerace, 43, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., charged with distribution of child pornography.
- Antonio Baang, 26, of Galloway Township, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Richard Lake, 65, of Trenton, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Federico Flores, 29, of Rahway, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- James Agin, 69, of Westwood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Fortino Rosales-Rodriguez, 22, of Oaklyn, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Justin Saavedra, 22, of Clifton, N.J., charged with distribution of child pornography.
- Daniel Braz, 39, of South River, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Nelson Cintron, Jr., 54, of Collingswood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Michael Brown, 28, of Pennsauken, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Erik Baez, 38, of Sicklerville, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Larry Gonzalez, 45, of Elizabeth, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Erik Johnson, 49, charged by Union County Prosecutor’s Office with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Marco Biason, 68, of Dover, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Brian Neilson, 55, of Metuchen, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Thomas Smith, 54, of Woodstown, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Zachary Brawer, 31, of Paramus, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Brian J. Gardner, 74, of Nutley, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- John T. Ruffner, 37, of Lumberton, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- John Skubiak, 62, of Deptford, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Nicholas J. Novak, 66, of Ocean Township, Monmouth County, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Eric MacAfee, 41, of Seaside Heights, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Jeison Padilla, 29, of Somerville, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography and conveying obscene materials to a minor.
- Justin England, 31, of North Plainfield, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Eric Yourish, 61, of North Plainfield, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Christopher Dunham, 22, of Rockaway, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Justin Piccola, 23, of Randolph, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Nicolas Bencze, 36, of Maywood, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Michael Yosco, 70, of Garfield, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Male Juvenile, age 14, of Bergen County, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- Julio Garcia, 29, of Bridgeton, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Joseph Lawitz, 34, of Hamilton, Mercer County, N.J., charged with possession of child pornography.
- James Livas, 22, of Hopatcong, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Robert Fuscarino, 27, of Hopatcong, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
- Donovan Roots, 19, of Pilesgrove, N.J., charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.