Morris County man charged with attempting to meet 15-year-old girl for sexual encounter, fleeing police
FREEHOLD TONWSHIP, N.J. (Monmouth County) — A Morris County man has been arrested and charged after allegedly arranging a sexual encounter with someone he believed was a 15-year-old girl, then fleeing the meeting location and nearly causing several crashes, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Jeffrey Lanci, 50, of the Long Valley section of Washington Township, faces charges of second-degree eluding, second-degree luring, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree attempted criminal sexual contact, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.
An investigation conducted by the prosecutor’s office High Tech Bureau found that Lanci allegedly contacted an undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old girl through social media and later exchanged sexually explicit text messages.
According to prosecutors, Lanci arranged to meet the person in Freehold last month and arrived at the predetermined time and location.
However, authorities said Lanci fled the scene, driving across a grassy area and onto a local highway, where he nearly caused several collisions. Police terminated the vehicle pursuit because of concerns for public safety.
Lanci was arrested without incident at his home later that day and taken to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
He remains in custody pending further proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court after Superior Court Judge Vincent N. Falcetano Jr. granted prosecutors’ request to keep him detained.
Anyone with information about Lanci’s activities is asked to contact the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-431-7160, ext. 8570.
