North Brunswick Man Charged With Child Pornography

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A North Brunswick, New Jersey man was arrested Thursday on charges that he sent an image of child sexual abuse to an undercover FBI agent.

Richard Scalea, 59, was arrested by agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and charged by criminal complaint with one count of distributing child pornography. He made his initial appearance Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court and was detained.

Federal prosecutors charge that on Aug. 31, 2017, Scalea communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer via an online incest chat room. In that chat, Scalea claimed to have sexually abused a minor child who was known to him. Scalea then distributed an image of child pornography to the undercover law enforcement officer. Today, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Scalea’s home in North Brunswick and seized computer devices containing multiple images of child sexual abuse, prosecutors said.

Anyone with information regarding possible victims of this activity is urged to contact the FBI in Newark at 973-792-3000.

Image via Morguefile