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Joseph Lorz was one of five Bergen County men among two dozen state residents arrested as part of “Operation Ever Vigilant,” headed by the New Jersey State Police, which smashed a child pornography network that distributed videos of youngsters being raped, necrophilia and bestiality, among other acts.
An examination of his computer equipment “revealed numerous images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent girls being raped by adult men,” Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said.
Lorz, who pleaded guilty last August to distributing child pornography, will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law after he’s released.
The Digital Technology Investigations Unit of the State Police began the investigation by randomly searching for state residents who were producing images of pre-pubescent boys and girls “being sexually molested by being penetrated, or by being coerced into performing sexual acts on themselves, or others,” authorities said at the time.
The NJSP unit was joined by members of the Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and U.S. Postal Service.
Then came a series of arrests in February 2013.
The strike team included more 50 troopers, agents, detectives and officers from dozens of law enforcement agencies who executed warrants in 25 different towns statewide.
Leading the charge was the NJSP T.E.A.M.S. Unit, a tactical operations group similar to SWAT.
“Everyone sitting in the seclusion of their darkened homes viewing child rape videos has victimized these innocents by creating the market for this disgusting material,” said NJSP Col. Richard Fuentes. “There’s no room for them to say, ‘I haven’t hurt anyone.’”
Deputy Attorney General Lilianne Daniel prosecuted Lorz and handled the sentencing for the state Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau.
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