
Somerset County man charged with possession of child pornography over 1000 items
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ (Somerset County) – A Somerset County man charged for allegedly possessing over 1,000 items of child pornography, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
Prosecutor McDonald stated that as part of the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) of multiple tips relating to the possession of images depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child.
An investigation revealed that Albert J. Ketrow, 28, of Somerset was suspected of uploading over a hundred videos and over a hundred additional photographs depicting the sexual abuse and/or exploitation of children under the age of 18, McDonald said.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit Detectives, along with members of the Manville Police Department on Dec. 12, 2023 located Ketrow in Manville, McDonald said.
Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit then executed a search warrant on Ketrow’s residence with the assistance of officers from the Franklin Township Police Department, McDonald said.
As a result of the search, multiple electronic devices were seized from the residence for further computer forensic examination. An initial forensic examination of Ketrow’s phone revealed evidence related to the crime, McDonald said.
Ketrow was arrested without incident and charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of the child – possession of child pornography over 1000 items. He was then lodged in the Somerset County Jail and subsequently released, McDonald said.
“The investigation remains on-going,” McDonald said.
Anyone with information relating to this incident to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at (732) 873-5533 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.