BARNEGAT, NJ – Anthony Perfidio, a Barnegat man has been arrested and is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail. According to jail records, Perfidio has been charged with attempting to lure or entice a minor into a motor vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child by photographing a sexual act and resisting arrest by flight. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office has yet to release further information about the arrest which occurred on August 28th.
In September of 2018, Perfidio was one of 24 men arrested during a state “capture a predator” sting named “Operation Open House”.
Operation Open House was a multi-agency undercover operation targeting men who allegedly were using social media in an attempt to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity.
The underage “children” were, in fact, undercover officers. Most of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a house in Toms River, N.J., where they allegedly expected to find their victim home alone. Instead, they found dozens of law enforcement officers prepared to arrest them and process any evidence seized. According to the Attorney General’s Office, during that operation, Perfidio thought he was luring a 15-year-old boy, who turned out to be an undercover agent at the Toms River home.