Lakewood Man Gets 4-Year Sentence For Seeking Sex With Teen

TRENTON, NJ — A Lakewood man has been sentenced to four years in prison for trying to lure an underage teenager — who in reality was an undercover detective — into sex on social media, the state attorney general's office announced Thursday.

Volvi Lowinger, 25, of Lakewood, a student who worked at a dry cleaning business, was sentenced on Jan. 24 to four years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski in Ocean County. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 15 to a second-degree charge of luring for attempting to arrange sex with an undercover officer he believed was a 15-year-old girl.

Lowinger, who was among 24 men arrested during Operation Open House, encountered a Wall Township Police Department detective on social media. Believing he was talking to a 15-year-old girl, Lowinger asked the "girl" to meet him for sexual activity. Lowinger sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the "girl."

He was arrested on Sept. 6, 2018 when he arrived at the undercover house in Toms River where dozens of officers and agents participating in Operation Open House were prepared to arrest offenders and process evidence.

He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life, the attorney general's office said.

"These prison sentences reflect our commitment to aggressively prosecute child predators," Grewal said. "We patrol the internet and social media on a daily basis with our federal, state, and local partners to protect children. We urge parents to do their part by talking to their children about social media and the dangers posed by online predators."

Operation Open House resulted in the arrests of 24 men who allegedly were using social media to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity. The operation was led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The ICAC Task Force also includes the Division of Criminal Justice, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, all 21 county prosecutors’ offices, and many other state, county and local law enforcement agencies.

Authorities urge anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.

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