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Luis Felipe Pacheco-Loja, 33, was among 79 defendants nabbed in “Operation Safety Net,” a multi-agency child protection sweep led by State Police.
Jurors earlier this year convicted him of distributing, storing, maintaining and possessing the images.
Superior Court Judge Siobhan A. Teare sentenced Pacheco-Loja in Newark to six years in state prison, five years of which he must serve before becoming eligible for parole. He also must register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life.
“Offenders like Pacheco-Loja who share child sexual abuse materials online perpetuate the victimization of the children who are brutally assaulted to produce these vile materials and further motivate those who commit these horrific assaults,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
Grewal commended “commend our attorneys and trial team, as well as all of the investigators who helped secure this verdict.”
Deputy Attorneys General Jamie Picard and Danielle Counts prosecuted Pacheco-Loja for the state Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau, with assistance from Analyst Nathalie Kurzawa and members of Grewal’s Cyber Crimes Unit.
In addition to DCJ, the State Police-led New Jersey Regional ICAC Task Force that conducted “Operation Safety Net” included U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, all 21 county prosecutors’ office and several other state, county and local law enforcement agencies.
Along with those caught trafficking child porn, 10 accused child predators were arrested – among them, eight New Jersey men and two men in California and Indiana who Grewal said crossed or tried to cross state lines to have sex with children.
Grewal urged anyone who has information about the distribution of child sexual abuse materials on the internet – or who suspects improper contact by persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.
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