Somerset Man Indicted For Taking 'Upskirt' Pic Of Teen Girl: Police

SOMERSET, NJ — A Somerset man has been indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury for taking lewd photographs of a young girl at a car dealership last year — commonly described as "upskirting," Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Wednesday.

David M. Chapinski, 41, of the Somerset section of Franklin Township is charged with first-degree manufacturing of child sexual abuse materials, second-degree manufacturing of child sexual abuse materials, third-degree invasion of privacy, and two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

The incident took place shortly after 1 p.m. on May 2, 2021, at the Auto Exotica car dealership on Newman Springs Road in Red Bank, according to an investigation by members of the Red Bank Police Department, assisted by members of the Prosecutor's Office.

While at the dealership, authorities say a man later identified as Chapinski snuck up to a teenage girl wearing a dress, who was on site looking at vehicles with her parents and two siblings. He then placed his cell phone flat in the palm of his hand, and surreptitiously placed it between the girl's legs from behind in order to record photographs, according to authorities.

Chapinski was arrested without incident and criminally charged in August 2021.

"The act of 'upskirting' isn’t just disturbing, degrading, and demeaning – it’s illegal. We are concerned that there may be more victims," Linskey said.

Linskey urged anyone who may have been victimized in this way to contact MCPO Sgt. Shawn Murphy at 800-533-7443 or Red Bank Police Department Detective Sean Hauschildt at 732-530-2700.

If convicted of the first-degree crime he is charged with, Chapinski would face up to 20 years in state prison, with the possibility of up to 10 years for a conviction on the second-degree charge.

Child Porn Charges

Chapinski was also arrested last year on child pornography charges in Bergen County, Prosecutor Mark Musella announced.

On July 27, 2021, the Edgewater Police Department arrested Chapinski on charges of invasion of privacy, debauching the morals of a child and harassment.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO) Cyber Crimes Unit analized Chapinski's electronic devices and found he used the Internet to view, download, and possess more than 900 digital files depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children, according to the BCPO.

Chapinski was arrested on Aug. 31, 2021 in Paramus and charged with one count of second-degree production of child pornography and one count of third-degree possession of child pornography.

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