A West New York man has been arrested for using Discord to facilitate child sex material earlier this month, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Joseph Suarez, 31, of West New York, is charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child/facilitating child sex abuse material, as well as the same crimes in the second degree, along with endangering the welfare of a child/possession of child sex abuse material, Suarez said in a statement.
He was arrested at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance. The State has filed a detention motion in this matter.
On January 10th, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received information that child sex abuse material was being created and shared through the social media platform Discord.
The investigation revealed Joseph Suarez communicated with a 13-year-old boy out of state and instructed him to provide images and/or videos of himself committing sex acts on a 4-year-old girl.
Following a court authorized search of Suarez’s residence, over 1,000 files of child sex abuse material were seized. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may follow.
Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Special Victims Unit, In Court Unit, Narcotics Task Force, Cyber Crimes Unit, and Crime Scene Unit, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and the West New York Police Department for assisting with the investigation and arrest.
Anyone wishing to report a sex crime should call the HCPO Special Victims Unit (SVU) at 201-915- 1234.
