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Alexander Mejia, 35, of the 3100 block of Willow Drive in Ocean Township, was charged on Thursday with second degree distribution of child pornography and third degree possession of child pornography, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Mejia was taken to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township pending a detention hearing.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a referral from the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (NJ-ICAC) Task Force in June 2020.
The referral came after a complaint was filed by the social media platform Instagram reporting a user utilized the platform to upload child pornography, the prosecutor said.
Further investigation traced the account to Mejia at his Willow Drive address, Gramiccioni said.
A warranted search of his home was made on Jan. 22, Gramiccioni said, and evidence was recovered, including eight electronic devices.
If convicted of distribution of child pornography, Mejia faces a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison, the prosector said.
Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos is handling the case.
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