Two dozen alleged child predators, from first responders to college students, were arrested in a New Jersey sting operation for trying to meet underage girls and boys for sex, the state's attorney general announced Tuesday.
Most of those charged were arrested at a house in Toms River, where they thought they had arranged a meet up with the young people.
Instead, they met law enforcement officers "prepared to arrest them," according to a statement from Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.
Specially trained officers had posed on social media sites including Kik, Skout, Whisper and Grindr as underage girls or boys. After chatting, sometimes for several weeks, all 24 people charged arranged to meet the young people for sex, the attorney general's office said.
Among the people arrested was a Howell Township, New Jersey, police sergeant, Richard Conte, 47. He allegedly attempted to meet a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for sex; he had condoms in his pocket when arrested and had said in online chats that he was 19, according to the attorney general's office.
Others arrested included a nurse, a firefighter, college students, and a registered sex offender, the attorney general's office said. The arrests happened between Sept. 5 and Sept. 9.
All 24 defendants are charged with second-degree luring of a child. Some face additional charges, including second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child.
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Five men face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child for allegedly sending photos of their genitals to undercover detectives.
Those arrested are:
1. Mina G. Beshay, 27, of Monroe Township, N.J. Beshay is a security guard. Additional charges: Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rd degree).
2. Christopher Vargas, 29, of Toms River, N.J. Vargas is a registered nurse.
3. Joshua Rauter, 31, of Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Rauter is a municipal public works employee. Additional charges: Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rd degree).
4. Joseph Martin, 35, of Seaside Heights, N.J. Martin is unemployed. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
5. Richard Hoffman, 23, of Mays Landing, N.J. Hoffman is a firefighter and a college student.
6. Volvi Lowinger, 23, of Lakewood, N.J. Lowinger is a college student. Additional charges: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rd degree).
7. Thomas Graciano, 28, of Brick, N.J. Graciano is a physical therapist in a retirement community.
8. Thomas Blumensteel, 47, of Manchester, N.J. Blumensteel is a hotel manager and a registered sex offender. He was sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison in 1997 for aggravated criminal sexual contact for sexually assaulting a boy, 13, whom he was supervising as a church counselor. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
9. Richard Conte, 47, of Farmingdale, N.J. Conte is a police sergeant with the Howell Township Police Department.
10. Thomas Fuller, 44, Toms River, N.J. Fuller is an assistant manager/sterilization technician. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
11. Zachary Vincent, 24, of Forked River, N.J. Vincent is a landscaper. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
12. William Singleton, 24, of Pemberton Township, N.J. Singleton is a restaurant worker. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
13. Jonathan Vece, 22, of Turnersville, N.J. Vece is a canvasser. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
14. Lawrence Ivancic, 51, of Toms River, N.J. Ivancic is unemployed. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
15. Robert Lisicki, 51, of Metuchen, N.J. Lisicki is a train conductor. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
16. Dylan Daffron, 28, of Lacey Township, N.J. Daffron is a cashier at a retail store. Additional charges: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rd degree).
17. Steven Portnoy, 27, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Pornoy is unemployed. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
18. David Studnicky, 64, of Toms River, N.J. Studnicky is employed as a dry cleaner. Additional charges: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree), Attempted Debauching Morals of a Child (3rd degree), Attempted Showing Obscene Material to a Minor (3rd degree).
19. Anthony Perfidio, 24, of Barnegat, N.J. Perfidio is a data entry clerk.
20. Brian Degnan, 33, of Toms River, N.J. Degnan is a data entry clerk.
21. Nabindranauth Nandalall, 24, of Bronx, N.Y. Nandalall is unemployed.
22. William D. Davis, 23, Bayville, N.J. Davis is a consultant.
23. Charles Schlottfeld, 26, of Bayville, N.J. Schlottfeld is a mechanic. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
24. Douglass Walton, 54, of Hillsborough, N.J. Walton is employed in produce. Additional charge: Attempted Sexual Assault on a Minor (2nd degree).
