HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — On December 1, Joseph Suarez, 32, of West New York, was sentenced to 15 years in New Jersey State Prison for facilitating child sex abuse material. The sentencing was handed down by the Honorable Carlo Abad, J.S.C.
Suarez pleaded guilty on October 20 to one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(3). He is required to serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. Additionally, Suarez will be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for life. Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Baginski represented the State in this case.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force initiated the investigation on January 10. They discovered that Suarez was involved in the creation and distribution of child sex abuse material on the social media platform Discord. Suarez had communicated with a 13-year-old boy, instructing him to produce and share explicit images and videos involving a 4-year-old girl. A search of Suarez’s residence led to the seizure of over 1,000 files of child sex abuse material.