By: Tracie Carter
A Woodbridge man has been arrested and charged in connection with alleged explicit crimes involving a minor in Jersey City, according to an announcement from Hudson County authorities.
Wayne Mello confirmed that on Thursday, February 19, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit took 46-year-old Tejas Patel into custody.
Patel has been charged with second-degree Exploitative Contact and third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Authorities said he was arrested at the Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.
According to prosecutors, the alleged offenses occurred in Jersey City on various dates in 2024, when the victim was 15 years old.
Investigators determined that the defendant met the minor through the social media platform Snapchat.
Officials also stated that Patel is employed with the Hudson County Department of Family Services.
Prosecutor Mello credited the Special Victims Unit for conducting the investigation and carrying out the arrest.
Anyone wishing to report a explicit crime is urged to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234.