Man Faces Child Porn, Drug Charges In Somerset County

RARITAN, NJ — A Raritan man is facing charges for having child pornography and drugs, authorities announced.

Joseph Vega Ramirez, 23, of Raritan, was charged with second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse materials, third-degree possession of child sexual abuse materials, third-degree possession of CDS (Psilocybin Mushrooms) and third-degree possession of CDS (Ecstasy (MDMA)).

The charges were in response to the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force notifying the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office of a Cyber Tipline Report provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the upload of several files depicting the sexual abuse and/or exploitation of a minor via a messaging application, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.

An investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit led to the identification of Joseh Vega Ramirez as the suspect who had and shared files depicting the sexual abuse and/or exploitation of a minor, said McDonald.

On May 13, detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit, along with members of the Raritan Borough Police Department and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, executed a Superior Court search warrant at Vega Ramirez’s home in Raritan.

Electronic devices were seized for further forensic analysis. Also, as a result of this search, around 34 grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms and 35 suspected Ecstasy (MDMA) pills were also seized from the home, said McDonald.

On May 13, Vega Ramirez was taken into custody without incident and taken to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. He was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a court hearing on this matter.

Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Raritan Borough Police Department at 908-725-6700 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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