By: Richard L. Smith
A Bridgeton man has been arrested and charged in connection with the explicit contact and online exploitation of a 12-year-old girl in Trenton, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey said an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit and the Trenton Police Department led to the arrest of Alex Torres-Lopez, 35, of Bridgeton.
He is charged with first-degree aggravated explicit contact, second-degree explicit contact, and multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a minor related to the possession and distribution of explicit images of children.
Prosecutors have also filed a motion seeking to keep him jailed while the case moves forward.
Investigators were alerted on January 5, 2026, after Trenton police received information that a 12-year-old girl living in the city had been involved in explicit online contact.
Detectives launched an investigation and identified Torres-Lopez as a suspect.
Authorities said the victim met Torres-Lopez through the social media platforms Snapchat and Roblox.
During multiple encounters in the fall of 2025, the two met in Trenton, where explicit activity took place.
Investigators also determined that Torres-Lopez had the minor send him explicit images and videos.
Torres-Lopez was arrested without incident on January 7 at his home in Bridgeton by members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit.
Under New Jersey law, first-degree crimes carry potential sentences of 10 to 20 years in state prison and fines of up to $200,000.
Second-degree offenses carry penalties of five to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.
The investigation is being handled by Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office detectives Natalie Martinez and Gloria Phillips along with Trenton Police Detective Taja Durling. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact SVU Sergeant Sherika Salmon at 609-960-3119. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office website.
Prosecutor Marbrey urged anyone who suspects inappropriate online contact between children and unknown individuals to report it immediately to law enforcement.