Middle School Wrestling Coach In Somerset Co. Arrested For Having Child Porn

RARITAN, NJ — A Middle School Wrestling Coach in Franklin Township and Raritan Borough man was arrested for having child pornography, announced Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald.

Nicholas Cringoli, 52, of Raritan Borough, was arrested and charged on Tuesday with second-degree endangering the welfare of child for the possession of items depicting the sexual exploitation and/or abuse of a child.

Cringoli is employed as a paraprofessional with the Franklin Township (Somerset County) school district, as well as a Middle School Wrestling Coach in Franklin Township.

The arrest came after National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an apparent upload of images of child exploitation or abuse of a child, said McDonald.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation that found Cringoli was suspected of possessing numerous images of child sexual abuse material, said McDonald.

On Tuesday at around 6:15 a.m., Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office detectives, along with Raritan Borough Police Officers, executed a search warrant at Cringoli’s home where his electronic devices were seized for further computer forensic examination.

An initial forensic examination of these devices found numerous images depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child, said McDonald.

Cringoli was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending his court hearing. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Raritan Borough Police Department at 908-725-6700 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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