Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Maple Shade Police Chief Gary C. Gubbei announced that a Maple Shade man was arrested this morning for possession and distribution of child pornography.
Howard Irizarry, 39, of the 300 block of Spruce Avenue, was charged with four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (three Second Degree, one Third Degree). Among the material Irizarry is charged with possessing and distributing through a digital file-sharing program is a video of a grown man having intercourse with a pre-pubescent girl.
The investigation, which began earlier this year, was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit with assistance from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police.
Irizarry was taken into custody at his residence this morning following the execution of a search warrant by investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office, the Maple Shade Police Department, the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey State Police, and the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
A cell phone and computers belonging to Irizarry were seized. A preliminary forensic analysis of the devices conducted at the residence revealed multiple child pornography files.
The case will be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury to be considered for indictment. Irizarry will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Eife, supervisor of the BCPO Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Unit.
The lead investigator was Detective Sergeant Dave Kohler, supervisor of the BCPO High- Tech Crimes Unit, which 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.