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.