Weehawken Man Charged In Online Child Sex Sting

WEEHAWKEN, NJ — A Weehawken man who works in finance for a major Internet service provider was charged last week with trying to meet a 14-year-old boy he met online for sex, as well as with having thousands of files of underage child pornography.

Luis Gonzalez Palacio, 36, of Weehawkin, is just one of 16 New York and New Jersey men named in a major child porn bust done by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, a sting that nabbed a bank manager, a high school teacher, an Uber driver, a dental hygienist and even a police officer in Ridgewood.

The investigation was called "Operation Home Alone," and it was led by the New Jersey State Police, the state Attorney General's Office and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. The investigation targeted men who allegedly were using social media in an attempt to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity, the AG's office said.

Except the underage “children” the men thought they were talking to online were, in fact, undercover police officers. Most of the 16 men were arrested when they arrived at a home in Bergen County, where they allegedly expected to find their victim home alone. Instead, they found law enforcement officers.

Those arrested include a Ridgewood police officer, a Bronx, N.Y., high school teacher, drivers for two rideshare companies, a minister, a finance lead for an internet service provider, a bank branch office manager, a barbershop owner, a dental hygienist, two takeout food deliverymen, and others.

The AG's office said they set up the sting in part to show parents to be aware of who their child is talking to online.

The 16 men arrested in the sting are:

Peter Tuchol Jr., 28, of Waldwick, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 15) Tuchol has been suspended from his position as a police officer with the Ridgewood Police Department. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (anabolic steroids) (3rd degree), Possession of a Prescription Legend Drug (4th degree), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (hypodermic needles) (4th degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Kevin Roth, 26, Nanuet, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a boy, 14) Roth is a teacher at the High School of Computers and Technology in Bronx, N.Y. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Dariush Ghamarnezhad, 37, of Pomona, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Ghamarnezhad is a dental hygienist. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Joel Guichardo, 38, of Passaic, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Guichardo is a barbershop owner. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Larry Noel Jr., 43, of Stanhope, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a boy, 14) Noel is a warehouse worker. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Shaheen Lariff, 49, of New City, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a boy, 15) Lariff is a bank branch office manager. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Rajan Lama, 33, Woodside, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Lama is a driver for a rideshare company. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Criminal Sexual Contact (2nd & 4th degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Luis Gonzalez Palacio, 36, of Weehawkin, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a boy, 14) Gonzalez Palacio is a finance lead for a major internet service provider. Palacio allegedly had more than 13,000 suspected files of child pornography on his phone when he was arrested. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Possession of Child Pornography (3rd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Roger Arroyo, 37, of Philadelphia, Pa. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Arroyo is a traveling minister. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Criminal Sexual Contact (4th degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Yosef Kriger, 31, of New City, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Kriger is a pharmaceuticals delivery driver. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Michael Mancini, 36, of Hawthorne, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Mancini is a supermarket employee and DJ. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Teodoro Alvarez Ortega, 28, of Suffern, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a boy, 14) Avarez Ortega is a restaurant server. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Jacob Smith, 26, of New Rochelle, N.Y. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Smith is a takeout food delivery driver. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rddegree). DCJ is prosecuting.

Jose Martinez, 47, of Fairview, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a boy, 14) Martinez is a takeout food delivery driver. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree). BCPO is prosecuting.

Jason Keizer, 33, of Garfield, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Keizer is unemployed. Charges: Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Possession of Child Pornography (3rd degree). Keizer is currently awaiting sentencing on a prior child pornography charge filed by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. BCPO is prosecuting.

Hareshkum Tailor, 55, Garfield, N.J. (believed he was speaking with a girl, 14) Tailor is a driver for a rideshare company. Charges: Luring (2nd degree), Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree). DCJ is prosecuting.

The arrests in Operation Home Alone were made over a five-day period from April 11 through April 15. Seven defendants travelled to the undercover Bergen County house from locations in New York State, and one traveled from Philadelphia. The defendant who is a police officer, Peter Tuchol Jr., was placed under arrest on April 15 at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office in Paramus.

Thirteen other defendants were arrested at the undercover residence in Bergen County. One defendant was arrested at a shopping mall, and the remaining defendant was arrested at his own residence. Those who went to the undercover residence allegedly expected to find their victims home alone. Instead, they were arrested upon arrival, sometimes by teams that included the very officer who portrayed the child they targeted for sex.

The men are variously charged with second-degree luring, second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor, and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child. Two men face third-degree charges of attempted showing obscene material to a minor for allegedly sending photographs of their genitals to undercover detectives. Two men are charged with having child pornography on their electronic devices, including the Weehawken man who allegedly had more than 13,000 files of suspected child pornography on his phone and a second who was already facing sentencing on a prior child pornography charge filed by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Police say the men typically initiated contact with the undercover officers based on profiles posted on social media platforms by the undercover detectives and agents. The social platforms that were used in these encounters included Kik, Skout, Grindr, Tinder, MeetMe and Adam4Adam. Once chatting began, the undercover officers clearly identified themselves as underage girls or boys.

Despite that information, the defendants allegedly engaged the purported “children” in conversations about sex and made arrangements to meet the “children” for sex.

“Parents need to know that the profiles of underage girls and boys we posted on social media to catch these offenders could easily have been profiles of their own children, who might also be targeted by predators on chat apps and popular gaming sites," said New Jersey AG Gurbir Grewal. "Our message to parents with Operation Home Alone is be on guard. Our message to child predators is law enforcement is working overtime to find you and arrest you.”

In the past, similar arrests of alleged child predators have been made using the following chat apps: Kik, Skout, Grindr, Whisper, Omegle, Tinder, Chat Avenue, Chat Roulette, Wishbone, Live.ly, Musical.ly, Paltalk, Yubo, Hot or Not, Down and Tumblr. Arrests also have been made involving the gaming apps Fortnite, Minecraft and Discord.

“Parents need to be aware of their children’s activities on the internet, and if children appear anxious or evasive when this topic is raised, it may be a red flag,” said Attorney General Grewal. “It is critical that parents talk to their children about social media and chat apps to let them know that the people they encounter may not be who they initially seem to be.”

In past cases, the ICAC Task Force has made arrests of alleged child predators who used the following chat apps: Kik, Skout, Grindr, Whisper, Omegle, Tinder, Chat Avenue, Chat Roulette, Wishbone, Live.ly, Musical.ly, Paltalk, Yubo, Hot or Not, Down and Tumblr. Arrests also have been made involving the gaming apps Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord. Attorney General Grewal urged parents to familiarize themselves with these apps and warn their children about sharing information with strangers.