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Ron Rothman, 49, of Ringoes, became the center of an investigation on Friday, March 17 after a girl under age 13 reported a man using a cell phone to record her while she was in the changing room at Kohl's on Route 202 in Raritan Township, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson said.
Further investigation showed the man, identified as Rothman, possessed recordings of the girl in the changing room, as well as “images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of other children, who have not yet been identified,” the prosecutor added.
A search warrant carried out at Rothman’s home on Monday, July 17 by the RTPD, HCPO, the Hunterdon County S.W.A.T. Team, and the New Jersey State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit and K-9 Unit resulted in the confiscation of computer hard drives and other equipment.
Rothman was arrested and charged with first-degree child endangerment, two additional third-degree counts of child endangerment, and two counts of invasion of privacy. Additional charges are pending investigation.
Rothman was previously arrested for invasion of privacy in 2017 after allegedly hiding a recording device in the bathroom of a shared Airbnb in New York City, NJ.com reported.
Rothman was being held at the Warren County Correctional Center pending an initial court appearance on Tuesday, July 18. A pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 21.
The investigation is ongoing. Residents are urged to report suspicious activity regarding child exploitation to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-788-1129, the Raritan Township Police Department at 908-782-8889, Hunterdon County Crime Stoppers at 908-797-9627, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 24-Hour Hotline at 1-800-843-5678.
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