Gymnastics Gym Owner Faces Child Porn Charges: Prosecutor

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ -- The owner of a Howell gymnastics gym has been charged with possession of child pornography, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Wednesday.

Ronald J. Charles, 51, of Love Lane, Freehold Township, the owner of Galaxy Gymnastics, was arrested Tuesday, according to Charles Webster, spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Charles is accused of attempting to send multiple images of child pornography from his personal email address, Webster said.

There is no indication at this time that the allegations are connected to the gym, Webster said Wednesday afternoon.

The investigation by the Computer Crimes Unit of the prosecutor’s office and the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Regional Task Force was sparked by a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Webster said. The tip reported an individual, later identified as Charles, attempted to send multiple images of child pornography via his personal email address.

Based on that information, a search warrant was issued leading to the seizure of a computer from Charles’ home office, Webster said. A subsequent examination of that computer revealed numerous images of child pornography, he said.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Richard Hudak, of the Freehold Township Police Department and ICAC Regional Task Force, in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit, he said.

Charles was charged with two counts of third-degree possession of child pornography, Webster said. If he is convicted of the charge, Charles faces a sentence of up to five years in prison on each count.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Margaret Koping, of the Office’s Computer Crimes Unit.