Ocean County Man Tried To Lure Child For Sex, Prosecutor Says

An Ocean County man is among 12 men who have been arrested in an undercover investigation into people using social media and online message applications to try to lure children for sexual activity, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Jorge Mora, 52, of Jackson, has been charged with one count of second-degree luring, one count of third-degree criminal attempt — distributing obscene material to a minor, and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child, Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said.

Mora and the others were arrested as part of "Operation Bad Santa," which took place from Dec. 8 through Dec. 15, Ciccone said.

During the investigation, Mora and the others believed they were speaking with children and arranging sexual activity, authorities said, but they were speaking with undercover officers. When the men arrived at a home being used for the investigation expecting to find a child, they were arrested, she said.

The prosecutor's office did not say what age child was being portrayed by the undercover officers.

Two of the men engaged in online child exploitation and were arrested upon their identification, the prosecutor's office said.

The investigation included multiple Middlesex County agencies and the FBI, authorities said.

Also arrested were:

Delpis Reynoso-Castro, 26, of New Brunswick, was charged with one count of second-degree Luring and one count of third-degree Criminal Attempt – Endangering Sexual Conduct with a Child.

Marcos Aguila, 57, of East Brunswick, was charged with one count of second-degree Luring and one count of third-degree Criminal Attempt – Endangering Sexual Conduct with a Child.

Jose Leguia, 57, of Old Bridge, was charged with one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Hareshkumar “Harry” Vala, 44, of Dunellen, was charged with one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Vedant Khandelwal, 38, of Bridgewater, was charged with one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Kevin Knox, 65, of North Brunswick, was charged with one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Cameron Ameye, 33, of Bloomingdale, a program coordinator of Youth Rise at Passaic County Community College, was charged with one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Joseph Davicsin, 46, of East Brunswick, a middle school teacher in Elizabeth, was charged with one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree criminal attempt – endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Akash Shah, 23, of East Brunswick, was charged with one count of second-degree luring, one count of third-degree distributing obscene material to a minor and one count of third-degree endangering sexual conduct with a child.

Raul Angeles, 53, of Asbury Park, was charged with one count of third-degree criminal attempt — endangering sexual conduct with a child.

James Keating, 59, of Edison, was charged with one count of third-degree criminal attempt - endangering sexual conduct with a child and one count of third-degree distributing obscene material to a minor.

The investigation is continuing, the prosecutor's office said, and anyone with information is asked to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
at 732-745-3300.