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On Friday, Feb. 7, an undercover law enforcement officer purporting to be an adult male with access to a 6-year-old girl was contacted on an online platform by a user, later identified as Daniel Dagostino, of the platform, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.
The undercover officer and the other user moved their conversation to a messaging app, where the undercover mentioned he had access to an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old girl, Platkin said. Dagostino, a Lanoka Harbor resident, allegedly initiated a sexual conversation about the girls, requested photos of them, and sent photos of himself and his New Jersey driver’s license, which was later used to identify him, Platkin said.
Arrangements were made to meet at a hotel, where Dagostino would have sex with the girls while the undercover male watched, Platkin said. On Saturday, Feb 22, Dagostino allegedly communicated with the undercover during his travels and arrived at the predetermined location with candy and a condom, Platkin said. He was arrested at the location and a consent search of his vehicle produced a condom box, a note, and candy, Platkin said.
He was charged with two counts of human trafficking, two counts of attempting to engage in sex with a child who was less than 13 years old, attempting to lure a child for sex and two counts of attempting to debauch the morals of a child, Platkin said.
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