Warren County man charged with distribution, possession of child pornography
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ (Warren County) – A Warren County man was arrested for allegedly distributing and possessing videos of child sexual abuse, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday.
In February and March of 2022, a social media platform called Discord reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user on their platform was uploading images potentially showing the sexual exploitation of children, authorities said.
NCMEC then contacted the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, which conducted an investigation to locate the suspect. Ultimately, law enforcement identified Michael S. Lovell-Agnelli, 31, of Phillipsburg as a potential suspect, prosecutor’s office said.
When the contents of Lovell-Agnelli’s Discord account were reviewed, detectives discovered images of child sexual abuse material and evidence that these images were distributed to other users, authorities said.
A search warrant was executed at Lovell-Agnelli’s residence to collect other devices suspected of containing or distributing potential child sexual abuse material, prosecutor’s office said.
Lovell-Agnelli was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child for distributing child pornography, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child for possession of child pornography. He is held in the Warren County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The second-degree charge carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in New Jersey State Prison and requires registration under Megan’s Law as sex offender. The third-degree charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in New Jersey State Prison.