MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Montville Police Andrew Caggiano confirmed the arrest of Matthew Mannarano, 34, of Montville, for alleged distribution of Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM).
The defendant has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Distribution of CSAM), a second-degree crime in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(a)(i) and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of CSAM), a third-degree crime in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(b)(iii).
The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referencing media files, allegedly depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors distributed through Kik, a chat application. It is alleged that the defendant possessed and distributed the items.
Mannarano was arrested on the above charges on June 11. Following his arrest, he was released under Criminal Justice Reform, on PML Level II, with pretrial release conditions that include no unsupervised contact with children.
Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Montville Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their efforts in this investigation.
Chief Caggiano praises the thorough investigation conducted by all detectives involved in this case.
Suppose anyone has any information related to this investigation. In that case, they are encouraged to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.
Editors Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
