A 21-year-old Washington Township man was arrested Friday on a charge of third-degree possession of child pornography, Bergen County prosecutors said. Val S. Tetro was taken into custody in Paramus following a months-long cyber crimes investigation that included a court-authorized search of his electronic devices.
According to prosecutors, members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Cyber Crimes Unit first identified Tetro on March 11 during an ongoing internet child pornography investigation, as reported by Patch. That identification set off a monthslong inquiry that eventually led investigators to seek court authorization to search Tetro's devices.
Detectives determined that Tetro viewed, saved, downloaded, and/or possessed material depicting nude or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children, per the prosecutor-attributed account relayed by the outlet. Those findings formed the basis for the third-degree charge filed against him.
From Identification to Arrest
The gap between Tetro's identification in March and his arrest Friday reflects the scope of the investigation, which Bergen County investigators described as months-long and reliant on a court-authorized search of his devices, the same report notes. Tetro was arrested in Paramus and taken to the Bergen County Jail, where he was held pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
New Jersey law defines the offense Tetro faces in specific terms. Under P.L. 2013, Chapter 136, a person commits a third-degree crime if they knowingly have under their control, through any means including the internet, an item depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child.
What Remains Unknown
Details such as the number of files allegedly involved, the specific devices or online services investigators examined, and the method used to initially identify Tetro have not been disclosed. Information about Tetro's attorney, any plea, his detention status following the first appearance, or the eventual outcome of the case has also not been made public.
Those seeking updates on the case can consult the New Jersey Courts website, which allows the public to search case databases, look up case jackets by party name or docket number, and search criminal cases by name or county.
