Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Pemberton Township Police Chief David H. Jantas announced that a Pemberton Township man was arrested today on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.
Salvatore R. Cenatiempo, 65, of the first block of Genes Way in the Browns Mills section of the township, was charged with three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, including two for possession of child pornography (Second Degree and Third Degree) and one for distribution (Second Degree).
The investigation began when the Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit received intelligence from the United States Department of Homeland Security concerning the defendant’s online activities. The posting by Cenatiempo was initially discovered by cyber detectives from the New Zealand Digital Child Exploitation Team, who then contacted USDHS.
The investigation revealed that Cenatiempo possessed a video that he shared online depicting a pre-pubescent female engaged in a sexual act with an adult male and another female.
A search warrant was executed this morning at Cenatiempo’s residence by investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (the investigative arm of USDHS), the Pemberton Township Police Department and the New Jersey State Police. Several electronic devices were seized during the search and will be analyzed by detectives from the BCPO High- Tech Crimes Unit.
Cenatiempo was taken into custody at his residence and lodged in the Burlington County Jail. A first appearance will be scheduled in Superior Court in Mount Holly, and the case will then be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury to be considered for indictment.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Eife, supervisor of the BCPO Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Unit. The investigation was led by BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit Detective Kevin Sobotka.
The High-Tech Crimes Unit is a member of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.
All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.