NJ Megan's Law offender took pics of teen in Sicklerville: police

GLOUCESTER TWP. — A Megan's Law registrant from Lindenwold was arrested after being observed taking pictures of an underage teen female at a bus stop in the Sicklerville section of this township, police said Thursday.

In a press release subsequently posted to Facebook, the Gloucester Township Police Department said the juvenile was walking to the bus stop at Pine Glen Drive and Jarvis Road just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when she observed a suspicious person taking photos of her with his cell phone.

The girl then alerted an adult at the bus stop, according to police, and the adult confronted the man in question and obtained a photograph of his license plate before reporting the incident.

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Police traced the license plate to a vehicle registered to Talal Aridi, 38, who is classified as a Tier 2, moderate risk sex offender according to the database maintained by the New Jersey State Police.

A February 2019 release from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Aridi, who resided in Mays Landing at the time, was indicted for two counts of second-degree attempting to lure or entice a minor by various means and one count of fourth-degree stalking for an incident in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, in July 2018.

BreakingAC.com later reported that Aridi was sentenced to 364 days in jail and five years' probation, as well as having to register as a Megan's Law offender, after pleading guilty, meaning his probation term would have still been ongoing at the time of Tuesday's encounter.

Aridi was located at his place of employment by a Gloucester Township police detective, at which time his cell phone was recovered and evidence pertaining to the investigation was found therein, according to police.

He is charged with one count each of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree stalking, and harassment, a disorderly persons offense, and was remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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