Possible Jail Time For Howell Man Arrested In Child Porn Sweep

HOWELL, NJ - A Howell man charged with possession of child pornography will be held without bail for violating the terms of a former probation charge, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon determined on Thursday.

In a videoconference hearing from Monmouth County Jail, Howell resident Thomas Vilanova, 49, was found in violation of probation charge for allegedly viewing child pornography while he was serving a probation sentence for an earlier child pornography conviction, as initially reported by the Asbury Park Press.

Escandon agreed to free the 49-year-old father of three with restrictions on both his internet use and unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 except for his daughter. However, it was also decided that Vilanova will be held without bail due to violating the terms of his probation.

Vilanova was one of over a dozen Monmouth County men charged in a monthslong investigation targeting individuals seeking and distributing child sexual abuse material. Read more: 2 Howell Men, 13 Others Arrested In Countywide Child Porn Bust

Per the Asbury Park Press, Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Stephanie Dugan said that probation officers who monitored Vilanova’s internet use as a condition of his probation discovered the images of child sexual abuse. Vilanova could face up to 15 years in prison.

The Howell man's first arrest on a charge of possession of child pornography was in 2015, around the same time that he was also charged with embezzling $40,000 from the Howell Girls Softball League, where he served as treasurer. One of the fraudulent transactions was used to post his bail for a "prior arrest” on a charge related to possession of child pornography, according to the Press.

The Howell man was sentenced to four years probation after pleading guilty to both of the offenses in 2017.

Vilanova’s attorney noted that, although the accused has attended psychological counseling for five years, the coronavirus pandemic has kept him from going to one-on-one sessions.

A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30 on the case. A separate hearing to decide whether he should be released prior to that date is scheduled for Oct. 23.

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