MORRISTOWN, N.J. — A Hanover Township man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in state prison for engaging in explicit online communications with a 9-year-old child in North Carolina, following a guilty plea to one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Brian J. Cariddi, 40, admitted to conducting inappropriate internet exchanges with the child between December 11, 2022, and January 10, 2023. The communications included Cariddi exposing himself and soliciting explicit images from the victim, leading to his arrest on March 8, 2024.
Superior Court Judge Claudia Jones ordered that Cariddi serve 18 months of his three-year sentence without the possibility of parole. Upon release, he will be placed under Parole Supervision for Life and will be subject to all Megan’s Law requirements, including registration and community notification.
The court also issued a no-contact order, barring Cariddi from any future communication with the victim. The sentence followed a plea agreement reached earlier this year, after law enforcement completed their investigation.
Prosecutor Robert Carroll acknowledged the involvement of the Hanover Township Police Department and praised the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for supporting the case.
Investigation led by Morris County authorities
The investigation was initiated after North Carolina authorities flagged the online activity, leading to coordination with New Jersey law enforcement. Search warrants and digital evidence were used to identify and arrest Cariddi in Hanover Township.
Cariddi’s arrest came nearly two months after the end of the online communication period. Officials stated that no physical contact occurred between Cariddi and the child, but the nature of the conversations warranted felony charges under New Jersey law.
“The safety of children remains a priority, and we are committed to holding accountable those who exploit vulnerable individuals through digital platforms,” Carroll said in a statement.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose how the online contact originated but emphasized ongoing efforts to monitor and prevent child exploitation crimes through cybercrime initiatives.
Cariddi is currently being held in state custody pending transfer to a New Jersey Department of Corrections facility.
The prison term, lifetime supervision, and Megan’s Law registration follow a disturbing pattern of online child exploitation cases pursued by state authorities.