A five-month operation focused on online consumers of child sexual exploitation materials recently resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals during Operation Trading Post, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was carried out by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer
Crimes Unit and the Monmouth County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force
between June and October, according to a press release issued on Nov. 28.
Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said Operation Trading Post was designed to reduce online threats to Monmouth County children and to decrease the market for child sexual exploitation by focusing on individuals who are seeking out and trafficking in child pornographic materials.
Assisting in Operation Trading Post were members of the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Asbury Park, Freehold Borough, Hazlet, Holmdel, Howell, Keansburg, Keyport, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Sea Bright, Spring Lake, Tinton Falls and Wall Township police departments, according to the press release.
The following individuals were arrested as a result of Operation Trading Post:
• Jonathan Henry, 22, of Keyport, was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child pornography) and one count of endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Michael Balbosa, 34, of Neptune City, is charged with one count of second degree
endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child pornography) and one count of
third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Anthony Johnson, 38, of Neptune Township, is charged with one count of third
degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Rene Torres, 48, of Howell, is charged with one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• A juvenile from Holmdel is charged with one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child pornography) and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Brian Foley, 60, of Atlantic Highlands, is charged with one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child pornography) and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Alexander Ecock, 22, of Freehold, is charged with one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• William McMahon, 64, of Keansburg, is charged with one count of luring, a second degree crime, one count of attempted sexual assault, a second degree crime, and one count of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, a third degree crime.
• Thiago Thebald-Simas, 24, of Long Branch, is charged with one count of endangering the
welfare of a child, second degree (distribution of child pornography) and one count of
third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• David Wu, 32, of Hazlet, is charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a
child, second degree (distribution of child pornography) and one count of third degree
endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Joshua Valerio, 37, of Eatontown, is charged with one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child pornography) and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
Fady Elghazaly, 33, of Marlboro, is charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, second degree (distribution of child pornography) and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Ronald Paul, 56, of Freehold, is charged with one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child pornography) and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Ryan Marques, 18, of Howell, is charged with one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
• Gregory Cantrell, 61, of Freehold, is charged with one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child (possession of child pornography).
All the defendants were released on the condition that they have no unsupervised contact
with children under the age of 18 and not use the internet. McMahon remains incarcerated
pending trial, according to the prosecutor’s office.
If convicted of the second degree endangering, attempted sexual assault or luring charges, a defendant will face a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison, Megan’s Law, and parole supervision for life. If convicted of the third degree endangering charge, a defendant will face a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and parole supervision for life, according to the prosecutor’s office.