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Francisco Villafane, 37, of Perth Amboy, initially lost contact after he began texting with the youngster in 2020, but they resumed communication in late 2023, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
Villafane "exchanged sexually explicit content with the victim and solicited explicit material...including videos of the victim engaging in sexual acts at Villafane’s request," the U.S. attorney said.
Members of his Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force charged him with possession, receiving and distributing child pornography, Sellinger said.
A federal judge then ordered Villafane detained following a hearing in U.S. District Court in Newark on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Sellinger credited members of the task force and Perth Amboy police with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Rosenblum of his General Crimes Unit in Newark is handling the case, he said.
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