Passaic man arrested for child abuse material charges

FREEHOLD, NJ—Joseph S. Velazquez, 25, of Passaic, has been charged with multiple offenses related to the possession and distribution of child abuse materials (CSAM), announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago on Friday.

The investigation began in February when a detective from the Prosecutor’s Office, working undercover, infiltrated a chat group on the social media network Kik. During surveillance of the group, the detective encountered a user identified as “blazeitupp1,” later confirmed to be Velazquez, who shared CSAM files and discussed engaging in sexual activities with a fictitious child.

Last week, law enforcement agencies including the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and Passaic County Sheriff’s Office executed a search at Velazquez’s residence. The search confirmed the presence of CSAM, leading to his arrest. Velazquez is now held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution and awaits a detention hearing set for Monday in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Shore News Network Staff Report Latest posts

Shore News Network Staff Report is the official newsroom byline used by Shore News Network when a story is produced through the collaborative work of multiple members of the editorial team rather than a single reporter.

This newsroom account is reserved for articles that involve contributions from multiple journalists, editors, photographers, researchers, or news desk staff. It is also used for developing stories that are updated as new verified information becomes available, as well as for community announcements, weather coverage, public safety alerts, election results, and other newsroom-produced content.

Every article published under the Shore News Network Staff Report byline is reviewed and edited in accordance with the organization's editorial standards for accuracy, fairness, attribution, and transparency. Information is verified through official government agencies, court records, law enforcement, public documents, direct reporting, interviews, and other reliable primary and secondary sources before publication whenever possible.

The Staff Report account does not use artificial intelligence to independently generate news or publish unverified information. AI-assisted tools may occasionally be used for editorial support tasks such as transcription, formatting, grammar review, or workflow efficiency, but all published content is subject to human editorial oversight and approval by Shore News Network's newsroom staff.

As an independently owned digital news organization, Shore News Network is committed to original reporting, public safety journalism, government accountability, local community coverage, and breaking news throughout New Jersey and surrounding regions. Stories published under the Staff Report byline reflect the collective experience and editorial judgment of the Shore News Network newsroom.

Readers who have corrections, additional information, or news tips related to a Staff Report article are encouraged to contact the newsroom at news@shorenewsnetwork.com. Shore News Network welcomes factual corrections and updates as part of its commitment to accurate, transparent journalism.