FREEHOLD – An Aberdeen man is facing child pornography charges following a 2-month investigation that began with a tip from an online social media network, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Christopher Moran, 46, of Aberdeen is charged with one count of third degree possession of child pornography and second degree distribution of child pornography.
The charges stem from a tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) from an online social media platform. NCMEC forwarded the tip to the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Regional Task Force and in January the Monmouth County ICAC Task Force began its investigation with assistance from the Aberdeen Police Department.
As a result of the joint investigation, Moran was arrested and charged on Wednesday. He is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township awaiting a future detention hearing.
If convicted of possession of child pornography, Moran faces a sentence of three to five years in prison. If convicted of distribution of child pornography, he faces a sentence of five to ten years in prison. If convicted, Moran could also be subject Community Parole for Life and may be required under Megan’s Law to register with the New Jersey Sex Offender Registry.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos.
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.
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