25-Year-Old Passaic Charged With Possession & Distribution Of Child Pornography

Saturday, June 22, 2024, 2:30 A.M. ET. By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

FREEHOLD, NJ.- On Friday, June 21, 2024, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago reported, that last week, a 25-year-old Passaic, New Jersey was taken into custody and jailed after being criminally charged with offenses involving child sexual abuse material.

     Joseph S. Velazquez, 25, of Passaic, New Jersey, was charged with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for Distribution of Child Pornography; and third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for Possession of Child Pornography. 

     According to authorities, the charges stem from an investigation that began in February 2024, when an undercover Detective of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was monitoring a social media chat group, Kik. While monitoring the chat group, the Detective was contacted by another user in the group, going by the alias, “blazeitupp1” and during the investigation was identified as Velazquez, who electronically sent digital files depicting nude and or sexually explicit images of children and repeatedly expressed interest in having a sexual encounter with a fictitious child.

     Last week, members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office executed a court-authorized search warrant at Velazquez’s home in Passaic, New Jersey, and located the Child Sexual Abuse Material that led to the charges filed against him.

     Following the execution of the warrant, Velazquez was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution pending a detention hearing that has been tentatively scheduled for Monday, June 24, 2024, in Monmouth County Superior Court in Freehold, New Jersey.

“The rules of the court requires us to include a statement, that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”