Bergen County authorities arrested Mr. John Laforgia, 36, Staten Island, New York, on a charge of False Public Alarm.
Authorities said on Monday, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit was notified by several local police departments and a community crisis hotline that an unknown telephone caller was using technology to anonymize his caller ID and was placing repeated telephone calls to them.
During these phone calls, the caller told operators that he was currently sexually assaulting a minor or was about to while on the phone with them.
First responders notified the Cyber Crimes Unit, who quickly determined that the calls were false and there was no sexual assault in progress.
According to police the ensuing investigation revealed that Laforgia made the calls as well as more than 130 similar phone calls to other law enforcement agencies and crisis hotlines in various jurisdictions, including New Jersey and New York, since February 1, 2021.
This incident is under investigation.