MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. — A U.S. Border Patrol agent from Michigan has been charged in New Jersey with multiple offenses related to child exploitation following an undercover operation conducted by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, officials announced.
Ryan Peless, 51, of Newport, Michigan, was charged on July 25 after allegedly engaging in sexually explicit online communications with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. The investigation began in September 2024 as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Authorities say Peless sent explicit videos of himself and a piece of child sexual abuse material to the undercover agent, believing the recipient to be a minor. He is currently employed as a Border Patrol Agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Peless has been charged with:
- One count of second-degree attempted sexual assault
- One count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child (distribution of child sexual abuse material)
- One count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child (sexual conduct)
- One count of third-degree obscenity
- One count of fourth-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct
The case remains under investigation by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.