BRANCHBURG — Federal prosecutors say a Somerset County man created a website that tricked children into committing sexually explicit acts in front of webcams.

Jonathan Soto, of Branchburg, pleaded not guilty Thursday to conspiracy to produce child porn and possessing child porn. He faces between 15 and 40 years in prison if convicted on both counts.

Soto allegedly ran the site from July 2014 through April 2015.

Prosecutors say site users created phony profiles on social media websites that portrayed them to be children between the ages of 10 and 16. They then chatted with actual minors and lured them to other websites to engage in sexually explicit activity during private chats.

Soto was arrested last April when FBI agents executed a search warrant at his home.

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