Man Asked 8-Year-Old Somerset County Girl To Send Nude Photos Of Herself: Prosecutor

FRANKLIN, NJ — A man who asked an 8-year-old girl from Franklin to send naked photos of herself was arrested, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson announced.

Efrain A. Martinez, 31, of Bronx, New York was arrested after Franklin Township Police found he was engaging in sexually explicit communications through a website with the child on Jan. 21, police reported.

Martinez had told the child to photograph herself naked and to send the digital images through an instant messaging application, according to an investigation Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit detectives.

A search was conducted at Martinez's home on Feb. 10 at 6 a.m. where his smartphone was seized and he was arrested without incident.

Martinez was charged with 1 st Degree, manufacturing child pornography, 3 rd Degree possession of child pornography and 3 rd Degree, endangering the welfare of a child. Somerset County authorities will seek to extradite defendant Martinez back to New Jersey.

Prosecutor Robertson is reminding parents to be aware of the smartphone apps and online sites that your child uses or frequents, and get to know the individuals and friends with whom they are communicating.

"If your child wants to share digital photos with their friends or classmates via email or a social networking site be sure to know exactly where the images are being stored and who will be receiving the images," Robertson said.

(Image via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office: Efrain A. Martinez, 31, of Bronx, New York)

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