February 5, 2021
By: Tyler Eckel
FREEHOLD (MONMOUTH)– An Ocean Township man is facing charges for the possession and distribution of child pornography following a tip he uploaded the materials to his social media account, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Alexander Mejia, 35, of the 3100 block of Willow Drive in Ocean Township, is charged with second degree distribution of child pornography and third degree possession of child pornography. Mejia was taken into custody on Feb. 4, 2021, and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township pending a detention hearing.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a referral from the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (NJ ICAC) Task Force in June 2020. The referral came after a complaint was filed by the social media platform Instagram reporting a user utilized the platform to upload child pornography. Further investigation traced the account to Mejia at his Willow Drive address.
A search warrant was executed on Jan. 22, 2021, at his Ocean Township address where evidence was recovered, including eight (8) electronic devices.
If convicted of distribution of child pornography, Mejia faces a sentence of five to ten years in a New Jersey state prison. If convicted of possession of child pornography, he faces a sentence of three to five years in prison.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
