TOMS RIVER-Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato has been tough on crime in Ocean County since taking office, but he and his office have been especially hard on crime when it comes to the sexual exploitation of children.
The OCPO High Tech Crimes Unit has been active in finding, pursuing and charging those across the county engaged in the possession and distribution of child pornography.
Coronato is currently serving as prosecutor in Ocean County. His term expired this spring and his future is uncertain. To date, Governor Phil Murphy has not yet announced his reappointment to the position.
Today, the office announced the arrest of another perpetrator.
In a release, the OCPO stated:
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Chief Richard Buzby announced the arrest today of Dale Brian Ferraro, 24, of Little Egg Harbor. Ferraro is charged with one (1) count of Possession of Child Pornography. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department teamed up in this latest proactive operation to stop child exploitation.
The arrest today (7/18) is the result of proactive cyber monitoring by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit into people sharing or downloading images of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts. This latest operation led to the early morning execution of an approved search warrant by the above partnering agencies at 303 Kadlubeck Way, Little Egg Harbor. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kristin Pressman reviewed and approved the above charge based on the investigative evidence seized as a result of the forensic preview of the defendant’s computer equipment. Ferraro is being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a first appearance.
The media and the public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.