BERKELEY – A local man was charged with owning and sending child pornography over the internet, police said.
Mario Calabrese, 26, of Berkeley Township, was charged with Possession of Child Pornography and two counts of Distribution of Child Pornography.
The investigation began with a referral from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. They had received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual was sending/receiving images of child pornography from the internet. Police said they identified the IP address and tracked it to a home in Berkeley.
At Calabrese’s home, officers served a search warrant, finding images and videos of child pornography that had been uploaded and sent using the app Kik on a device owned by him.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer commended the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Berkeley Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Calabrese’s arrest.
Charges are merely accusations until proven in a court of law.
