FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County Grand Jury has returned a five-count indictment against a Somerset County man accused of taking lewd photographs of a juvenile female at a local car dealership last year, in a manner commonly described as “upskirting,” Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Wednesday.
David M. Chapinski, 41, of the Somerset section of Franklin Township is charged with first-degree Manufacturing of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, second-degree Manufacturing of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, third-degree Invasion of Privacy, and two counts of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
The incident in question took place shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at a car dealership in Red Bank, according to an intensive investigation by members of the Red Bank Police Department, assisted by members of the Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation revealed that while at the dealership, a man later identified as Chapinski snuck up to a teenage girl wearing a dress, who was on site looking at vehicles with her parents and two siblings, placed his cell phone flat in the palm of his hand, and surreptitiously placed it between the girl’s legs from behind in order to record photographs.
Chapinski was arrested without incident and criminally charged in August 2021.
“The act of ‘upskirting’ isn’t just disturbing, degrading, and demeaning – it’s illegal. We are concerned that there may be more victims, and urge anyone who may have been victimized in this way to contact MCPO Sgt. Shawn Murphy at 800-533-7443 or Red Bank Police Department Detective Sean Hauschildt at 732-530-2700,” Acting Prosecutor Linskey said. “Such criminal conduct will not be tolerated in Monmouth County.”
If convicted of the first-degree crime he is charged with, Chapinski would face up to 20 years in state prison, with the possibility of up to 10 years for a conviction on the second-degree charge.
This case was assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Lavender. Chapinski is represented by Richard G. Potter, Esq., with an office in Hackensack.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
