Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on March 19, 2021, Michael Delia, 42, of Waretown, was sentenced to four years New Jersey State Prison by the Honorable Linda G. Baxter, J.S.C., as a result of his previously entered guilty plea to Endangering the Welfare of a Child by Possessing Child Pornography in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)b(ii). Delia’s sentence will be served at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center located in Avenel, New Jersey. Delia will also be subject to Parole Supervision for Life, and will be required to register as a Megan’s Law Offender. Delia pled guilty to Endangering the Welfare of a Child by Possessing Child Pornography before Judge Baxter on September 23, 2020.
An investigation commenced by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit in January 2019 revealed that an IP Address belonging to Delia was being used to download Child Pornography from the internet through a peer to peer file sharing application. On March 5, 2019, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and Ocean Township Police Department executed a search warrant at Delia’s residence in Waretown. As a result, Detectives seized a laptop computer, cell phone and other electronic equipment belonging to Delia. A forensic examination of the laptop computer revealed that it contained more than 1000 but less than 10,000 images of child pornography. Delia was arrested without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail.
Prosecutor Billhimer commends the diligence of Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry who handled the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and Ocean Township Police Department, for their collective and combined assistance in this investigation leading to Delia’s apprehension, and ultimately his state prison sentence.