By: Richard L. Smith
A NJ woman has been taken into custody after investigators linked her to an explicit contact case involving a minor that dates back to 2007.
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announced that 65-year-old Esther Silva, of Knowlton Township, was arrested following the discovery of new evidence this past summer.
Silva is facing a series of charges, including first-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated explicit contact , first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor by permitting the victim to engage in a recorded explicit act, and several counts of second- and third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor related to the creation of recordings and alleged explicit conduct.
The case resurfaced on July 11, 2025, when the Paterson Police Department received evidence connected to the assault of a female minor, who was 15 or 16 years old at the time.
The matter was referred to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit for further investigation.
Prosecutors allege that Silva not only video-recorded but also facilitated explicit acts against the victim.
She is also accused of conspiring with a male accomplice, who has since died.
On October 15, 2025, around 10:30 a.m., members of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office arrested Silva near State Route 94 and Oraton Lane in Knowlton Township.
The investigation remains active.