By: Tracie Carter
A Hudson County resident was charged Wednesday with possession of explicit images of minors, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Federal officials charged Matthew Ozol, 39, of Jersey City with one count of possession of explicit images of minors.
Ozol made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement reviewed messages sent via a messaging application from an account associated with an IP address registered in Ozol’s name at Ozol’s residence.
The account participated in a chat group named “Baby Rapist,” and sent multiple communications referencing, among other things, a desire to rape babies and exchange explicit images of minors, and distributed a video containing explicit images of minors.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s residence, and recovered at least 26 images and/or videos, including explicit images of minors depicting infants or toddlers.
The charge of possession of explicit images of minors carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the charge.