53°
Albert Pisanelli of Deptford was taken into customer at a Burlington Township convenience store, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Jason J. Molina, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Newark Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Pisanelli is accused of arranging a sexual encounter with someone he met online and believed she was 13 years old, Coffina said.
In reality, the underage teenager was an HSI Special Agent, and Pisanelli was taken into custody upon arriving at the Burlington Township convenience store where he thought she would be waiting for him to pick her up, Coffina said.
Pisanelli, of Hunter Drive, was charged with luring, attempted sexual assault, leader of a child pornography network, possession of child sexual abuse material, attempted endangering the welfare of a child and attempted criminal sexual contact, authorities said.
When he was arrested, Pisanelli reportedly carried a sex toy he bought as a gift for the girl, a tripod for a cell phone, lubricant and prescription medication for erectile dysfunction, Coffina said.
He was being held at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
Prior to orchestrating the rendezvous, he used an instant messaging app to request naked pictures from the person he believed was the young girl, the prosecutor said.
The investigation was conducted by HSI – Cherry Hill Office, with assistance from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Hi-Tech Crimes Unit and the Burlington Township Police Department.
Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Weiler is handling the case.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hamilton Township and receive free news updates.
