MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker, and Morristown Police Department Chief Darnell Richardson, filed additional charges against Ruben Gonzalez, 19, Morristown.

Mr. Gonzalez was charged with one count of Leader of a Child Pornography Network, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4.1a, 2nd Degree; one count of Possession of Child Pornography with Intent to Distribute, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(a)(ii), 2nd Degree; one count of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(a)(i), 2nd Degree; one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(3), 1st Degree; eight counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(4), 2nd Degree; 11 counts of Invasion of Privacy, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-9b(1), 3rd Degree; and three counts of Computer Criminal Activity, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-25e, 3rd Degree.

The defendant was arrested on the above charges on June 27, following an examination of the defendant’s cell phone.

It is alleged that on or between December 2, 2020, and November 5, 2021, the defendant conspired with others to lead a child pornography network, using the Telegram Application to communicate and coordinate the distribution of child sexual abuse material. It is also alleged that the defendant would use the “Screen Record” option on his cell phone to secretly record and save the sexual activity of the victims, without their knowledge or consent.

Some of the victims of the defendant’s conduct were minors. The defendant is currently detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility on the above charges and three separate Morris County Indictments charging him with Aggravated Sexual Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Criminal Sexual Contact, and Invasion of Privacy. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 12.

Prosecutor Carroll would like to thank the Morristown Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) for their efforts in the investigation and arrest of this defendant.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or signing a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is dedicated to educating the general public about the risks and potential hazards relating to Child Sexual Abuse Material Child Pornography and the misuse of technology by children.

They also continue to promote increased awareness of the recommended safeguards that can help to prevent the victimization of our children. During the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in online activity among our nation’s youth. Law enforcement agencies across the country are seeing a rise in sexually explicit material by children of all ages. This material includes activities such as “sexting” and sending or soliciting nude photographs.

With a generation of youth utilizing electronic means of communication and engaging online as content creators, it is important for parents to have open communication with their children about content sharing and exercise good judgment when it comes to how they interact with others online or through other electronic means, such as email, text messaging, and social media.

With boys and girls involved in these potentially dangerous behaviors, parents should have age-appropriate conversations with their children beginning as soon as they have access to any technological device.  Conversations with children should include a clear explanation as to why it is so important not to send, not to ask others, and not to share sexually explicit images, videos, or other content.

Children must be mindful of what they post and share through these electronic means, because social media and technology document everything, even photos and messages a child may assume was deleted or temporary, or that were intended to be private.  Data shared through electronic means can be accessed and potentially disseminated to others even after being deleted.  Moreover, individuals communicating with children through electronic means can misrepresent their true age, gender, or identity.  The dissemination of electronic data may subject the child to harassment or ridicule, and even create the potential for extortion or kidnapping.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “We at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office want to enable our youth to make smart choices about how they interact online and through electronic means, as poor decisions can have unfortunate consequences.”

Anyone with any questions can contact the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit or the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.  Persons may remain anonymous.

MORRIS COUNTY — Colleagues at the Weichert Corporate Headquarters Campus and various sales offices recently completed 2.5-mile Fun Walks to help fight food insecurity. In all, 63 walkers hit the pavement with the miles walked converted into 481 meals.

Weichert’s Fun Walk was part of a companywide MOVE 2 Fight Hunger Challenge presented by Weichert Workforce Mobility and Nelson Westerberg. The Challenge supports Move for Hunger, a national nonprofit organization that aims to offer a sustainable solution to reduce food waste and feed the hungry.

“At Weichert, we have always stressed the importance of giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Aram Minnetian, president of and COO of The Weichert Family of Companies. “It was great to see so many of our colleagues join together for a little exercise and camaraderie as we moved to fight hunger.”

The M2FH Challenge runs from June 1 through July 5. Colleagues can provide meals to feed the hungry by participating in any activity – from walking and running to cooking, dancing, or even reading a book. Their progress is tracked using atlasGO, a hybrid activity/social media app. The activities earn points that will be converted to meals at the end of the Challenge. The challenge goal is to earn 75,000 meals to support the cause.

Sales associates and colleagues at Weichert’s Rumson and Middletown sales offices participated in their own M2FH Challenge Fun Walks.

“We met at Popamora Point, which is a beautiful part of the Henry Hudson Trail in Atlantic Highlands,” said Christina Weiner, sales manager of Weichert’s Middletown office. “It was a great opportunity to enjoy nature and enjoy each other’s company away from the office while logging miles for meals to support a great cause.”

According to Move for Hunger, more than 42 million Americans face hunger every day, including 1 in 6 children. Meanwhile, 35 percent of the food produced in the United States every year is wasted. Move for Hunger’s network of socially responsible relocation companies provides its customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their food when they move. Members of Move for Hunger also volunteer to host/assist with community food drives, participate in cause marketing campaigns and create employee giving programs. Since 2009, Move for Hunger has delivered 26 million pounds to food-to-food banks across the United States and Canada — the equivalent of nearly 22 million meals.

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Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first. A family of 18 full-service real estate-related companies, Weichert provides an integrated real estate, mortgage, insurance, and title settlement solution — branded as All Under One Roof ℠— to simplify the home purchase experience for buyers and sellers, in most markets. Weichert leverages its customer website, click here, one of the nation’s most visited real estate websites, to help families and individuals realize the dream of homeownership through quick and easy access to listing information and its services to real estate professionals nationwide. According to several national surveys, Weichert enjoys greater public trust than other family-owned and -operated businesses. For more information, Weichert’s customer service center can be reached at 1-800-USA-SOLD.