Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone announced that six county residents have been arrested for their possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children.
On May 13, officers of the East Brunswick, Edison, Highland Park, Monroe, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Sayreville police departments, along with detectives of the New Jersey State Police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, executed search warrants at six residences across the county, according to information provided on May 14.
The investigation resulted in the following arrests:
- Dingren Nie, 27, of Edison, was charged for second-degree using a file-sharing program to store items depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children, second-degree possession with the intent to distribute child pornography, and first-degree possession of child pornography after having been found to be in possession of 100,000 items of material depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children.
- Hongpeng Zheng, 24, of New Brunswick, was charged for second-degree distribution of child pornography, third-degree possession of child pornography, and second-degree using a file-sharing program to store items depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children.
- Ali Armas-Iriarte, 58, of Highland Park, was charged for third-degree possession of child pornography, second-degree possession with the intent to distribute child pornography, and second-degree using a file-sharing program to store items depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children.
- Jeff Caramella, 21, of the Parlin section of Sayreville, was charged for third-degree possession of child pornography.
- James Walden, 50, of North Brunswick, was charged for third-degree possession of child pornography.
- A juvenile, 17, of Monroe, was charged for third-degree possession of child pornography.
Additionally, on May 6, Kenneth Godfrey, 41, of Woodbridge, was charged with third-degree possession of child pornography.
On May 10, a juvenile, 14, of Edison, was also charged for second-degree possession of child pornography.
All of the aforementioned individuals were charged following separate investigations by Detective Daniel Lojek and Detective Stephanie Redline of the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, which revealed the individuals possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children, according to the statement.
Presently, the investigations appear to be unconnected and the individuals are unknown to one another, according to the statement.
Nie was lodged at the Middlesex Adult Correction Center pending a pre-trial detention hearing in Superior Court as of press time. The remaining defendants individuals were likewise lodged at the Middlesex Adult Correction Center pending their initial appearances in Superior Court.
Anyone with information should call Lojek at 732-745-5924 or Redline at 732-867-1496.