ARREST FOR MEGAN’S LAW REGISTRATION VIOLATION
The Megan’s Law Unit of the Special Investigations Bureau of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office continue the search for Ocean County Megan’s Law Registration Violators this past week, along with Sergeant Chris Anderson of the Tuckerton Borough Police Department by opening an investigation into thirty four (34) year old Joshua O. Torres for the third (3rd) degree crime of failure to register pursuant to Megan’s Law. Registrants are required by New Jersey state law to either register annually or every ninety (90) days with the police department of the municipality in which they reside. The investigation revealed that Torres failed to register annually with the Tuckerton Borough Police Department for 2015. Tuckerton still remains Torres’ current address. An arrest warrant was reviewed and approved by Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ehsan F. Chowdhry designating the charge. The Honorable Wendel E. Daniels, P.J.Cr. of the Ocean County Superior Court approved signing of the complaint and set bail at $10,000 no 10%.
Detective / Sergeant Michael V. Cecchini conducted surveillance during the evening hours of Friday August 21, 2015 which led to finding Torres at his home address. Cecchini immediately contacted Little Egg Harbor Township Patrolman Matt Pretty and Patrolman James Fehring who arrived and assisted in the arrest of Torres at approximately 9:10 pm. They collectively effectuated the arrest warrant that was signed Wednesday August 19, 2015. He was arrested without incident for the third (3rd) degree crime of failure to register pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:7-2d(1). These statutes (N.J.S.A. 2C:7-1 through 2C:7-23) were passed on Monday October 31, 1994 by the New Jersey Legislature and are interchangeably referred to as Megan’s Law and / or Registration and Community Notification Laws. Ordinarily, the maximum potential punishment on this third (3rd) degree crime is 5 years in New Jersey State Prison with up to a $15,000 fine.
Torres was processed at the Tuckerton Borough Police Department by Patrolman Manolio, transported to the Ocean County Justice Facility by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and remanded to the county jail’s custody pending posting bail and presentment of the charge to an Ocean County Grand Jury. This criminal complaint is now turned over for prosecution by Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ehsan F. Chowdhry.
Anyone with relevant information should contact Detective / Sergeant Michael V. Cecchini at (732) 929 2027 extension 7918. The information may be given anonymously. At this time there is no information on whether the defendant has an attorney. This charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty or found guilty in a court of law.
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