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John Emilio of Staten Island pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2020, to attempted endangering the welfare of children in exchange for the plea-bargained sentence, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.
He tried to arrange the sexual encounter over the internet, Coffina said.
“This defendant’s calculated, predatory behavior presented a very real and very dangerous threat to the vulnerable population he was targeting online,” Coffina said.
Emilio was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Philip E. Haines in Mount Holly.
Haines ordered that Emilio be placed on the New Jersey sex offender registry upon release and also be under parole supervision for life.
Emilio became a suspect in November 2019 during a BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit proactive investigation into the exploitation of children in cyberspace. Emilio initiated contact and sent nude pictures of his genitals, Coffina said.
He said he was very excited that he would be having sex with a girl so young, and looked forward to taking her virginity, according to the prosecutor. In reality, Emilio was communicating with a BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit detective.
Emilio suggested coming to Burlington County to have sex with the girl, either at a Route 130 motel or inside of his vehicle, but the trip never materialized, Coffina said.
He was arrested at his residence in February 2020.
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