Swim Coach From Hazlet Seized In Child Porn Sting

HAZLET, NJ - The YMCA which last year appointed a township man to be swim coach, noted he was "a gentleman with high values" but today James Cutrone is caught up in a massive child pornography sting, charged with possession of child pornography.

Cutrone, 54, has coached at a number of universities as well, according to YMCA. According to a 2016 announcement for the Old Bridge-Freehold YMCA. Cutrone was appointed as the new director of Competitive Aquatics for the YMCA of Western Monmouth County. "Jim has extensive experience as a swim coach at all levels of USS swimming and collegiate swimming," according to the announcement on the YMCA website. "He has held coaching positions at Carnegie Mellon University, Loyola College and John Hopkins University to name a few. Jim leads with compassion and meets challenges with an honest yet enthusiastic effort and expects the same from others.

The Y called him "extremely knowledgeable in every facet of coaching and child development. Jim is first and foremost a coach with integrity and class. The level of professionalism and commitment Jim will bring to our YMCA is outstanding."

Cutrone was among 79 child predators and child pornography offenders in “Operation Safety Net,” a nine-month, multi-agency child protection initiative led by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to State Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.

Partnering agencies targeted sex offenders who exploited the internet and social media, making arrests in every New Jersey county and deploying, for the first time, a new van equipped as a mobile cyber forensics lab, as well as a new canine trained to sniff out electronic devices, to assist in execution of search warrants.

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