Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that seven Burlington County residents have been arrested since mid-July on charges related to the possession and distribution of child pornography, which is now more commonly referred to as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The investigations, conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit, led to charges against the following individuals:
• Matthew Reiss, 38, of Maple Shade, charged July 16 with Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree). He is accused of downloading child sexual abuse material from a website in another country. The lead investigator was Evesham Township Detective Christopher DeFrancesco, who is presently assigned as a Task Force Officer with the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.
• Daksh Patel, 25, of Maple Shade, charged July 29 with two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Second Degree and Third Degree). He is accused of uploading CSAM videos. The lead investigator was United States Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jennifer Miller, who is presently assigned as a Task Force Officer with the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.
• Jamie Adamson, 50, of Burlington City, charged August 2 with Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree). He is accused of uploading images of child sexual abuse material. The lead investigator was BCPO Det. Jennifer Appelmann.
• Daniel Ricci, 45, of Medford, charged August 5 with Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Second Degree). He is accused of downloading and viewing child sexual abuse material. The lead investigator was BPCO Det. Andrew Ridolfi.
• Dexter Manansala, 55, of Bordentown Township, charged August 6 with three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (two Second Degree and one Third Degree). He is accused of using Facebook to distribute child sexual abuse material.
The lead investigator was BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit Sgt. Dave Kohler. The names of two defendants are being withheld because they are juveniles. The adult offenders were released from custody following first appearances in Superior Court. They join a growing list of people apprehended for similar crimes. Over a 12-month period ending in May, 46 people were arrested on CSAM-related charges as part of the BCPO’s Operation Safe Quarantine, which pursued those engaged in the online exploitation of children. Prosecutor Coffina noted that the charges announced today were not part of any special operation. “These arrests were the result of investigators doing their jobs day in, day out,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “The pervasiveness of this criminal behavior is sickening and concerning, and catching these offenders remains a priority for our Office and our law enforcement partners.” The investigations involved the assistance of the Bordentown Township Police Department, the City of Burlington Police Department, the Evesham Township Police (NJ) Police Department, the Maple Shade Police Department, the Medford Township Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office. The cases are being prepared for presentation to a grand jury by Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Weiler. The Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit and HSI – Cherry Hill are members of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NJ ICAC Task Force) . The BCPO also belongs to the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
