Crime & Safety
Burlington Co. Man Lured Child, Solicited Nude Pics From Her: Police
The suspect communicated with the 13-year-old victim for several months, sending her obscene material during that time, authorities said.
MEDFORD, NJ — A Medford man has sexual conversations with a child, sent her obscene material and tried to meet her in-person, authorities said.
Kerellos Mena, 26, exchanged online messages with a 13-year-old girl over a period of several months, according to the Medford Township Police Department.
Mena was arrested Wednesday and placed in the Burlington County Jail, pending a court hearing.
Find out what's happening in Moorestownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Initially, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office in Maryland began an investigation into inappropriate contact between a man and a child. They determined that the man possibly lived in Medford, and a subsequent investigation identified Mena as the suspect.
Investigators found that the suspect and victim began communicating on iMessage — an instant-messaging service for Apple products. In these messages, Mena solicited nude images from the girl, described sexual activities, sent her obscene material and requested that she meet with him, police said.
Find out what's happening in Moorestownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Mena was charged with luring/enticing a child, obscenity and child endangerment.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
