A 35-year-old Keansburg resident, Jose Gabe Veras, has been sentenced to eight years in state prison for possessing a significant amount of child sexual abuse materials. The sentencing was announced on Monday by Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Julia Alonso.
Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley presided over the case and additionally ordered that Veras must register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law upon his release. He will also be subject to Parole Supervision for Life.
The Monmouth County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, aided by a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, spearheaded the investigation. The search yielded child sexual abuse material across multiple electronic devices in Veras’s home. The New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory assisted the ICAC Task Force in their efforts.
Veras was arrested at his Keansburg residence without incident in February 2020. He was subsequently indicted in October 2021 and was convicted in January 2023. The specific charge he faced was second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for the Possession of More than 1,000 Items of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
The prosecution team was led by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Joseph Competello and Joshua Carmel. Veras was represented by attorney George J. Mardinly, who has an office in Red Bank. The case serves as a warning to others and highlights the importance of cooperation between various agencies in tackling internet crimes against children.