US authorities have arrested 41 New Jersey residents, including students, construction workers and a high school volleyball referee, and charged them with sending videos over the Internet of children being raped, the state attorney general, Anne Milgram, said on Thursday.
The arrests, in 16 of the state's 21 counties, were a result of a two-month investigation by law enforcement agencies led by the state police technology investigations unit, Milgram said.
"We are committed to combating abuse and predatory behavior against children in New Jersey," the attorney general said at a news conference, adding that she expected more arrests.
young and old
Those arrested -- all but one of them male and ranging in age from 14 to 71 -- include an elevator repairman, a security guard, a car salesman, a construction worker, a deli owner and a chef. Four, all juveniles, are students.
The highest bail, US$75,000, was set for Peter Gelesky, 51, of Avenel, who volunteers at a high school as a referee for a girls' volleyball team.
The suspects are accused of possessing -- and in more than half the cases, distributing -- videos that "included graphic rape scenes," Milgram said. "It is impossible to sleep at night when you view them."
The children in the videos, some of whom have been identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, are between four and nine years old, she said.
The maximum penalty for possession of child pornography is 18 months in prison, and for distribution, 10 years, she said, adding that the juveniles would be charged with acts of juvenile delinquency.
silent shield
Milgram said the sweep, named Operation Silent Shield, was the largest in the state since 2005, when 40 people were arrested for sharing child pornography on the Internet.
Nine days ago officers began executing search warrants and making arrests. They seized numerous computers as evidence, plus thousands of hours of DVDs and 80 hours of videocassettes, some of which contain more child pornography, Milgram said.
One suspect was downloading child pornography when he was arrested, Milgram said, although she declined to identify the person.
She said many of the suspects were members of MySpace and Facebook, which are popular among youths.
Major James Fallon, an investigator for the state police, said that officers were tracking the paths of the images.
"We know of many more people who possess and distribute this material," he said. "I can tell you, we're coming after you."
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