Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on February 13, 2025, Mario Calabrese, 26, of Berkeley Township, was charged with Possession of Child Pornography and two counts of Distribution of Child Pornography.
This investigation was the result of a referral from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The ICAC Task Force received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual was sending/receiving images of child pornography from the internet.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad identified an IP address associated with a Berkeley Township residence as the location from which the individual was sending/receiving images of child pornography from the internet – utilizing a KiK Messenger account. Further investigation into those Kik Messanger accounts, resulted in Detectives locating images and videos of child pornography which had been uploaded and sent via Kik by Calabrese.
On February 13, 2025, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad executed a court-authorized search warrant on the Berkeley Township residence. A forensic examination of the electronic equipment located at the residence revealed the Kik Messanger app installed on Calabrese’s device. Calabrese was taken into custody without incident and transported to Berkeley Township Police Headquarters. Calabrese was thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutor Billhimer commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Berkeley Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Calabrese’s arrest.
The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).