Not child porn, but ‘suggestive’ images get NJ man arrested, cops say

BELLEVILLE — A North Jersey man may be the first in the state to be charged under the new "child erotica" law.

Anthony Domenick, 25, of Belleville, was charged with having images of child sexual abuse as well as sexually suggestive images.

The state adopted the new law last year at the request of law enforcement, who said the child porn laws only applied to images in which children were naked or involved in sexual activity. The new law also applies to images in which the child may be partially clothed but the intent of the photo or video is to "concentrate prurient interest on the child."

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said both kinds of images were found at Domenick's home on Wednesday.

New Jersey 101.5 did not know Saturday whether Domenick had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Prosecutors say he could face 10 years in prison if found guilty on all charges.

Under the state's child porn law, possession of 25 such images, including child erotica, becomes a second-degree offense.

When pushing for the law last year, then-Attorney General Christopher Porrino said “it is often a continuum where someone starts on child erotica, moves to child pornography and then is seeking something more.”

He said predators interested in this “type of filth often go onto social media websites that provide opportunities for the predators to appear, affectively anonymously, to lure children in and to satiate their desire to abuse young kids.”

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-359-5348 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.