21 Men Charged In Undercover Operation Targeting Child Predators In NJ

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – Twenty-one people were arrested and charged after a multi-agency undercover operation found they attempted to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity using social media, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said Thursday.

The men were from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and one from Georgia. They include four Megan’s Law registrants, an injury lawyer from Georgia, an information technology worker, a dump truck driver, and a pastry chef from the Pocono Mountains region, Onofri said.

Charges include second-degree attempted luring, second-degree attempted sexual assault, third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree attempted criminal sexual contact.

As part of “Operation Risky Business” undercover officers posed as children and teens online, Onofri said. The undercover officers conducted the chats with the men who typically initiated contact based on profiles posted on social media by the undercover detectives and agents, authorities said.

The social platforms that were used in these encounters included Kik, Skout, Whisper, Grindr, GROWLr, and MeetMe. Once chatting began, the undercover officers clearly identified themselves as underage girls or boys, Onofri said. Despite that information, the men engaged them in conversations about sex, and all 21 men made arrangements to meet the “children” for sex, authorities said. Some of the chats were conducted over a period of several weeks leading up to the “meet-up”.

The men were taken into custody either at the undercover residence in Hamilton Township or at another meet-up location, including Hamilton Train Station, authorities said. The undercover house was staffed with dozens of law enforcement officers, analysts and attorneys, authorities said. About half of the arrests were made over a four-day period from April 7 through April 10, Onofri said. Arrest warrants for the remainder of the suspects were forwarded to the U.S. Marshals Service, which tracked them down over the last few weeks, authorities said.

Attorneys and detectives drafted search warrants for electronic devices that were seized from the men and the devices were taken to the forensic computer laboratory at the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for full forensic examinations, Onofri said.

“Not in Mercer. Not our children. Not under my watch. That’s the message we are sending to sexual predators with collaborative efforts like Operation Risky Business,” Onofri said. “Social media sites have become hunting grounds for individuals looking to exploit children. Law enforcement will continue to use every investigative tool at our disposal to aggressively pursue and prosecute these predators that attempt to exploit our most innocent victims, but we can’t do it alone. Parents and guardians can do their part by remaining vigilant. Talk to your children about the dangers that exist on social media and gaming apps, and monitor their online activity.”

The men were lodged in the Mercer County Correction Center until detention hearings were held. Three defendants — Gregory Barger (who is a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania), Justin Wann, and James Hendryx — were ordered detained in jail pending trial. The other defendants were released subject to stringent pre-trial monitoring conditions, including at a minimum reporting regularly to Pre-Trial Services staff and prohibitions from using the internet except for work or having any unsupervised contact with children under 18, Platkin said.

The operation was led by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Financial and Cyber Crimes Bureau, and the New Jersey State Police, in collaboration with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and additional federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.

"Operation Risky Business is a great example of how successful law enforcement agencies can be when they collaborate across all levels like they did here by proactively investigating and arresting predators who sought to sexually exploit children,” said Platkin.

Onofri advised parents to familiarize themselves with the apps children use, as well as signs that their child may be targets of online exploitation.

“Spending an increasing amount of time online, becoming secretive about their online conduct, switching screens, closing tabs or windows whenever a parent is close, using sexual language they would not be expected to know and becoming emotionally volatile, these are all red flags,” he said.

The following 21 men were arrested in "Operation Risky Business" and are charged as indicated. The prosecuting agency is also specified:

• Laurentiu Tonea, 41, East Windsor, NJ: Tonea is an information technology worker in Edison, NJ. Charges: Attempted sexual assault, two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted criminal sexual contact, attempted luring. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) is prosecuting.
• Richard Parsons, 42, Cumming, GA: Parsons is an injury lawyer.
  Charges: Two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted criminal sexual contact. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Michael Kramer, 52, Philadelphia, PA: Kramer is a dump truck driver.
  Charges: Attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted sexual assault, attempted possession of child pornography, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Robert Franklin, Gloucester City, NJ:
  Charge Attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Jesus Clavel Villa, 49, Trenton, NJ: Villa is a cook in Trenton.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child. The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) is prosecuting.
• Moises Cortes Diaz, 35, New Brunswick, NJ: Diaz is a self-employed painter.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. DCJ is prosecuting.
• Joseph Roman, 31, Denville, NJ: Roman is unemployed and a registered sex offender.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Emanuel Rodriguez, 25, Trenton, NJ:
  Charges: Two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Gregory Barger, 37, Morrisville, PA: Barger is a self-employed painter and a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted kidnapping. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Justin Wann, 35, Paulsboro, NJ: Wann is a self-employed painter.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted kidnapping, attempted criminal sexual contact, attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Frank Duggan, 54, Bordentown, NJ: Duggan is unemployed.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. DCJ is prosecuting.

• Nestor Alonso Chappuis, 37, Hamilton, NJ: Chappuis is unemployed and a registered sex offender.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Evan Sluka, 27, Blakeslee, PA: Sluka is a chef in Stroudsburg, PA.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted criminal sexual contact. DCJ is prosecuting.

• James Hendryx, 26, Hamilton, NJ: Hendryx is unemployed.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Kyle Zang, 31, Stewartstown, PA:
  Charges: Two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Justin Wann, 35, Paulsboro: Wann is a self-employed painter.
  Charges: Four counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting. This second case is based on an additional chat with another undercover officer.

• Christopher Baez, 36, New York, NY: Baez is a restaurant worker.
  Charges: Two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Joseph Zekas, 49, Williamstown, NJ:
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted criminal sexual contact, attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Taylor Picillo, 29, Hamilton, NJ: Picillo is employed by a solar energy equipment supplier in Rocklin, CA.
  Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest. MCPO is prosecuting.

• William Oldham, 45, Williamstown, NJ: Oldham is a fence installer.
  Charges: Two counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted manufacturing of child pornography. MCPO is prosecuting.

• Charles Amer, 50, Maple Shade, NJ: Amer is a warehouse laborer and a registered sex offender.
  Charges: Attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted luring. MCPO is prosecuting.
• Yohann Rigogne, 41, Philadelphia, PA: Rigogne is unemployed.
  Charge: Attempted endangering the welfare of a child. MCPO is prosecuting.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. Fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

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