Verona Man Had 1000 Images Of Child Sex Abuse: Prosecutors

VERONA, NJ — A Verona man was arrested after police found more than 1,000 images that depicted the “sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” authorities announced Friday.

Paul J. Bonelli, 76, of Verona, has been charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child for possessing more than 1,000 items depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Following an investigation into a tip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Verona Police Department, New Jersey State Police and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Bonelli’s residence in Verona.

Devices and digital storage media were seized from his home for forensic examination and analysis, prosecutors said.

Bonelli was identified during an investigation into the possession and distribution of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children online initiated by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Verona Police Department is also a member of the task force, prosecutors said.

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