NJ law enforcement authorities announced that they arrested 25 individuals—24 men and one juvenile male—for "possession and distribution of child pornography, including child rape videos." Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said, "Anyone who views and distributes child pornography—particularly the type of child rape videos targeted in this operation—puts himself in league with the predators who sexually assault children to create these videos."
The sting, named "Operation Ever Vigilant," began three months ago. According to a press release, the NJ State Police's Digital Technology Investigations Unit "began the investigation approximately three months ago by searching for New Jersey residents who were making child pornography, including child rape videos, available to others. These files show pre-pubescent boys and girls being sexually molested by being penetrated, or by being coerced into performing sexual acts on themselves, or others."
Five of those arrested had direct contact with young children, including two defendants who are alleged to be regular babysitters. Another defendant is a registered sex offender. Stephen Rainone, of South Amboy, is listed on the state’s sex offender Internet registry as a Tier 2 offender for sexual assault of girls under 13 years of age. Defendant Brent Ailiff of West Berlin remains in jail on $100,000 cash bail. A field preview of Ailiff’s digital storage media revealed hundreds of child pornography files. Four of those arrested remain incarcerated on detainers for being in the country without legal status. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents assisted in the processing of these subjects.
These videos and images are passed back and forth among users through emails and by way of file sharing networks. The networks operate the same way as websites used for privately sharing music or movies. Those in possession of the illegal images often make them available on computers that they control for others to download. Because many of these videos and photos keep recirculating, they make perpetual victims of the children abused in the production of child pornography.
In addition to videos involving child abuse, detectives also discovered disturbing sexually explicit videos portraying necrophilia and bestiality during the searches.
Last week, various state agencies made the arrests. State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes said, "Everyone sitting in the seclusion of their darkened homes viewing child rape videos has victimized these innocents by creating the market for this disgusting material. There’s no room for them to say, ‘I haven’t hurt anyone.'"
