Accused Long Valley predator, 50, charged after wildly fleeing Freehold ‘teen’ sex sting

⚠️ A Morris County man is accused of arranging to met a 15-year-old girl for sex.

➡️ Jeffrey Lanci, 50, is accused of then fleeing over grass and into traffic to avoid police. 

🔴 Lanci was caught at his Long Valley home and remains in jail.

FREEHOLD – A Morris County man is accused of arranging to meet a young teen girl for sex and then fleeing wildly into traffic to escape police.

Jeffrey Lanci, of the Long Valley section of Washington Township, is charged with second-degree counts of eluding and luring, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree attempted criminal sexual contact.

The 50-year-old Lanci was communicating with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.

In reality it was an undercover officer who arranged an in-person encounter at a spot in Freehold.

Lanci is also accused of sending “sexually charged” text messages to the ‘teen’ before their meeting in September.

Read More: Atlantic City lifeguard accused of trying to meet NJ 'teen' for paid sex

Long Valley man accused of trying to meet girl for sex in Freehold - Lanci MCPO

Freehold encounter ended with a dangerous escape

When Lanci showed up at the arranged site, he realized what was happening and took off, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said on Friday.

Lanci is accused of driving over grass and onto a local highway, nearly causing several crashes.

Police picked him up at his home later that same day.

Lanci remained held at Monmouth County jail, after Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Vincent N. Falcetano, Jr. granted the state’s motion to keep him detained pending trial.

Lanci is listed as a lawyer, both on his Linkedin profile and several attorney search websites.
His defense attorney in this case is Thomas Huth.

Anyone with information about Lanci’s activities was urged to contact Detective Anthony Lacher at 732-431-7160, Ext. 8570.

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