Man charged in Monmouth County child sex sting

TRENTON — A Georgia man was charged Monday with illegal sexual conduct and child pornography offenses after investigators say he traveled from New York to Monmouth County last week to have sex with a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

Richard J. Simone Jr., 23, of Acworth, Ga., who at the time was living in Long Island, was taken into custody on Friday in Monmouth County. The exact town was not revealed.

Simone was charged on Monday with one count of traveling across state lines for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and also with one count of distribution of child pornography, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.

According to the complaint, an undercover special agent of Homeland Security Investigations in the Department of Homeland Security began communicating with Simone over the Internet in July.

During July, August and September, Simone and the undercover agent “engaged in numerous, graphic communications over the Internet regarding Simone having sex with the undercover agent’s fictitious 9-year-old daughter and fictitious minor babysitter.”

During an online conversation in August, Simone sent nine images of child pornography to the undercover agent. On Friday, Simone was taken into custody at a location in Monmouth County where investigators said he had traveled to meet the undercover agent.

Simone made his initial court appearance Monday before Judge Lois H. Goodman. Simone remains in custody pending a bail hearing on Friday.

The charge of traveling with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory five years, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Asbury Park Press asked the Attorney General’s Office for a photo of the suspect, but they refused.