Charges Highlight Attorney General Platkin’s Commitment to Supporting Law Enforcement’s Protection of New Jersey’s Children from Online Predators and Increases in Prosecutions of This Kind at the State Level

TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) today announced the arrests of two individuals charged with Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) related offenses this week.

On March 26, 2025, members of the NJSP Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit arrested two unrelated individuals alleged to be in possession of CSAM. In the first case, Luis A. Angeles-Lazaro, 29, of Clifton, was arrested and charged following a residential search warrant being executed at his home. Angeles-Lazaro was charged with second degree distribution of CSAM, and third-degree possession of CSAM, in connection with allegedly transmitting approximately 24 videos of confirmed CSAM and possessing approximately 498 additional images of suspected CSAM.

That same day, in an unrelated case, Darius J. Wilson, 21 of Newark, was arrested and charged after NJSP executed a search warrant at his residence. Wilson was charged with third degree possession of CSAM, in connection with the alleged possession of approximately 60 videos of suspected CSAM on his mobile phone.

Both of these investigations were the result of tips received by the New Jersey ICAC Task Force.

Over the past several years, there has been a marked increase nationally in the number of tips reporting suspected predatory activity online. These tips are investigated by the ICAC Task Force, led by the New Jersey State Police, and prosecuted by the DCJ Cyber Crimes Bureau, as well as by the County Prosecutors’ Offices. As a result, the number of defendants facing charges for these crimes has increased.  In 2020, the number of defendants charged with CSAM-related offenses in New Jersey was approximately 232, according to the Attorney General’s Office of Justice Data. By 2024, that figure had climbed nearly 74 percent, to approximately 404 defendants charged.

The increase in arrests can be attributed in part to enhanced collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working through the ICAC Task Force.

The cases brought by the ICAC Task Force have been many, and include a variety of crimes including possession, distribution and manufacturing of CSAM, luring, attempted aggravated sexual assault, and human trafficking.

Attorney General Platkin continues to prioritize the safety of New Jersey’s children and the prosecution of those who exploit, victimize, and inflict enduring damage on our communities’ most vulnerable members.  In an effort to continue the trend of identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those who prey on our young, Attorney General Platkin has increased the staff of DCJ’s Cyber Unit by 13 percent since January, from 23 members to 26. Similarly, the ranks of the Human Trafficking Unit have increased 33 percent, from 12 to 16.

“These charges announced today are serious allegations – and all too common, as predators take advantage of online platforms to mislead and manipulate their targets,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The imagery allegedly uncovered by these investigations depicts reprehensible crimes against innocent, unsuspecting victims. The safety of children is a priority of my office, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the State Police, which is why we have allocated additional resources to combating this exploitation through investigations and prosecutions.”

“Victims of these types of crimes are real children who are exposed to grave harm, both physical and emotional,” said Theresa Hilton, Director of DCJ. “Individuals who distribute, or possess, these images perpetuate the initial harm suffered by these victims and drive the market for this illegal material and trafficking of children. DCJ is committed to preventing these crimes from occurring in New Jersey and holding offenders fully accountable.”

“The arrests of individuals involved in child sexual abuse material serve as a sobering reminder of the pervasive dangers that exist online,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the NJSP. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to aggressively investigate these heinous crimes that target our most vulnerable populations. I urge all parents and guardians to be vigilant in monitoring their children’s online activities. Your diligence today can help prevent unimaginable tragedies tomorrow.”

Further, criminal investigations by the ICAC Task Force have frequently found connections between human trafficking, CSAM cases, and predatory online behavior.  Several cases in 2025 highlight that connection, including the investigations into two unrelated defendants who allegedly tried, through online chats, to arrange the sexual assaults of prepubescent children. The defendants, Rafael S. Azari, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, and Hank West, 43, of Chester, Pennsylvania, both allegedly utilized chat applications to set up in-person meetings to sexually assault children they believed to be under 13 years old.

Azari was arrested outside Newark Penn Station on January 6, 2025, where he had allegedly arranged to meet with an undercover officer with the intent of sexually assaulting a child. On March 7, 2025, DCJ secured a seven-count indictment against Azari that included charges for Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking of a Child (1st degree), Attempted Facilitation of Human Trafficking of a Child (2nd degree), and two counts of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault (2nd degree).

The other defendant, West, allegedly arranged to meet an undercover officer for the purpose of sexually assaulting a child on February 28 at a Bordentown hotel. According to the investigation, the defendant stated he would bring root beer for the child. When West arrived at the predetermined location, he was arrested and, according to the investigation, inside his vehicle police found a case of root beer and personal lubricant.  This matter is pending court in Burlington County, with an initial conference scheduled for April 30, 2025.

The significance of the work of NJSP, DCJ, and their partner agencies on the ICAC Task Force cannot be overstated. Law enforcement across the State are working tirelessly to protect our children from online predators. ICAC was founded to help law enforcement agencies enhance their response to offenders who use the Internet to sexually exploit children.

The prosecutions below represent a sample of recent cases being prosecuted by DCJ that were investigated by the Task Force:

Michael Gilpin, 46, of Union Beach, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025 to possession of CSAM (2nd degree) after uploading 186 files of CSAM to online storage. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025, at which time the State will recommend 5 years in State Prison, that the defendant to be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.

Shazod Kerr, 26, of New Egypt, New Jersey, was sentenced on March 21, 2025, to serve three years in New Jersey State Prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sex abuse material (2nd degree). The defendant will also be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life. Police found at least 40 files consistent with CSAM stored in his online cloud storage account.

Jeremy Geeraerts, 43, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was indicted on November 19, 2024, on charges including first-degree conspiracy to commit human trafficking, luring, attempted aggravated sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of hollow-point bullets. This defendant allegedly traveled from Florida to New Jersey to meet who he believed was a child, to engage in prohibited sex acts.

Joseph Lawitz, 40, of Manasquan, New Jersey, was sentenced on October 15, 2024 to serve 11 years in New Jersey State Prison. The investigation into Lawitz revealed that he attempted to have an undercover officer, who Lawitz believed to be a minor, take sexual photos of themselves and send the images to him in exchange for payment. He had also purchased CSAM from another individual online. Lawitz must serve 85 percent of his 11-year-term before becoming parole eligible. Additionally, the defendant must register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, will be subject to lifetime parole supervision, is barred from being in contact with anyone under 18 years old, and face restrictions on his internet use.

Derek J. Woods, 41, of Cream Ridge, used hidden cameras to capture videos of unclothed children in his home. Videos of minors were ultimately recovered from the defendant’s seized devices. Woods entered a guilty plea on January 3, 2025 to two counts of manufacturing of CSAM (1st degree) and one count of possession of CSAM (3rd degree). Sentencing is scheduled for April 25, 2025, at which time the State will recommend 8 years in State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (85% parole ineligibility) for the manufacturing charge, as well as a five-year flat term on the possession charge, to run concurrent to each other. Woods will be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.

Ryan Olson, 23, of Williamstown, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on November 8, 2024, to five years in State Prison for filming a child engaged in a prohibited sexual act and possession of CSAM. He contacted multiple minors on social media in an effort to solicit sexually explicit photos and videos. The defendant will also be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.

Jabari Amador, 23, of Phillipsburg, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on September 27, 2024, for aggravated sexual assault of a child and manufacturing CSAM. As part of his plea, the defendant admitted to sharing images online showing him sexually assaulting a toddler. He was sentenced to serve 18 years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act for the aggravated sexual assault, and 15 years in State Prison for manufacturing CSAM, to run concurrently. The defendant will also be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.

Criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

In light of these online dangers, Attorney General Platkin and the State Police offered the following safety tips to parents:

• Parents and guardians are encouraged to make use of all available resources to learn how to set up appropriate privacy settings in all applications used by the children in their care;
• Location settings for applications that use the camera should be turned off. Otherwise GPS coordinates are stored with every picture taken and children can unwittingly share their location with strangers;
• Adults and children need to be mindful about sharing personal information online. A lot of the time perpetrators can figure out where a child lives or attends school from seemingly harmless photographs shared on social media.  For example, a child wearing a sweatshirt from their school or a photo of children taken playing in front of a home with the house number visible in the background will provide a stranger with such information.  Consider blurring faces or location clues before posting;
• Creating awareness about the impact certain images can have on a child’s future will help our children make smart choices before they post. And educating children about the coercive tactics used by predators is critical to empowering our youth to seek adult help when being pressured online to send images that make them uncomfortable.
• “Online” friends can misrepresent who they really are. Children should never be allowed to meet anyone offline who they have not met before in real life.
• Additional internet safety tips are available here.

The Attorney General would like to thank all of the partner agencies on the New Jersey ICAC Taskforce. These agencies include the following, as well as their local affiliates:

New Jersey State Police
New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Homeland Security Investigations
Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office
Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office
Camden County Prosecutor’s Office
Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office
Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office
Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office
Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office
Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office
Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office
Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office
Morris County Prosecutor’s Office
Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
Passaic County Sherriff’s Office
Salem County Prosecutor’s Office
Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office
Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office
Union County Prosecutor’s Office
Warren County Prosecutor’s Office

***

Defense Counsel:
Jabari Amador: Celeste Dudley Smith, Esq.
Luis A. Angeles-Lazaro: Not yet known
Rafael S. Azari: Richard M. Stone, Esq.
Jonathan Fields: Bonnie Geller-Gorman, Esq.
Jeremey Geeraerts: Jason C. Matey, Esq.
Michael E. Gilpin: James H. Maynard, Esq.
Shazod Kerr: Tod Fiore, Esq.
Joseph Lawitz: Mark Davis, Esq.
Ryan Olson: Robert Agre, Esq.
Hank West: Not yet known
Darius J. Wilson: Not yet known
Derek Woods: John Hartman, Esq.

###