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Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Brian Sinclair (STORY / PHOTO: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia)
Michael Gadaleta, 35, pleaded guilty to third-degree child endangerment for what Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Brian Sinclair called “sexualization of a minor.”
“It’s not child pornograhy because she was fully clothed,” Sinclair said. “But he took those provocative photos and inserted them into still pictures and film of he and his wife having sex so that it looked like they were having a threesome.
“He’s in love with this girl and he’s sexualizing her,” the assistant prosecutor added. “It may not be child pornography because she’s not nude. But it is endangerment.”
Gadaleta had more than 100 images of child pornography on his computer — including, among others, the fully-clothed 14-year old on her knees with her mouth open as if about to provide oral sex, Sinclair said.
“From the pictures, I think the girl thought she was performing in a horror movie,” he said.
In exchange for Gadaleta’s guilty plea, Sinclair downgraded three counts of inducing a minor to simulate a sex act to the single child endangerment count.
Gadaleta must register as a Megan’s Law offender and remain under parole supervision for life, under the sentenced imposed by Superior Court Judge James J. Guida.
His parole officer will set standards for his release that could include a monitoring bracelet, the judge told him.
He said Gadaleta also must complete sex offender therapy.
“If you violate those terms, you’ll go back to jail,” the judge said.
Under current law, Gadaleta could come off the Megan’s Law list in 15 years.
“But the law may change, and it could be to your detriment,” Guida told him.
His sentence also requires that Gadaleta never contact the victim, according to Sinclair.
“If I hear he said ‘hello’ to her, he’s back in here and he’s going to prison,” he said.
STORY / PHOTOS: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia
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