COURT HOUSE – The arrest of Richard Hoffman, 24, of Mays Landing, on first-degree child pornography charges, was announced by Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland and Col. Patrick J. Callahan of the New Jersey State Police in a Feb. 7 release.
According to a release, the investigation resulted from information received from the September 2018 “Operation Open House” in Toms River, which was conducted by State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
During that operation, Hoffman was arrested for luring after chatting with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old female.
Later, other victims of Hoffman were identified and another investigation was initiated involving State Police and the County Prosecutor’s Office.
The teenage victim of this investigation resides in Villas.
As a result of the investigation, earlier Feb. 7, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Hamilton Township Police Department arrested Hoffman at his Mays Landing residence.
He was charged with manufacturing child pornography, possession of child pornography, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sexual contact, two counts of sexual assault, and witness tampering. He was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings.
The above was received from a law enforcement agency. The person named is innocent unless proven otherwise.
