Mount Olive Man Charged in Child Pornography Case: Community Alerted

Morris County's Fight Against Child Exploitation Continues with Recent Arrest

MORRISTOWN, NJ – In a significant development, Morris County law enforcement officials have announced the arrest of Jose A. Lousa, 60, of Mount Olive Township, for allegedly operating a peer-to-peer network distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This case underscores the ongoing battle against child exploitation in the region.

The arrest, a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies, stemmed from an initial tip by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Investigations led to Lousa's residence, where over 1,000 items of CSAM were reportedly found available for download on a BitTorrent site. BitTorrent, a well-known file-sharing network, became the focal point of this investigation.

Lousa faces serious charges, including a first-degree offense for maintaining a file-sharing program of CSAM and a second-degree offense for possession of CSAM. Following his December 7 arrest, Lousa was detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility. However, after a December 13 detention hearing, he was released under strict pretrial monitoring, including no internet access and no unsupervised contact with minors.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, emphasizing the severity of these crimes, acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the Homeland Security Investigations Newark – Child Exploitation Group, New Jersey State Police, Mount Olive Township Police Department, Boonton Township Police Department, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office urges anyone with information related to this case to contact the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 973-285-6200. It's vital to remember that a criminal complaint is an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This case brings to light the persistent and disturbing issue of child exploitation, calling for increased vigilance and cooperation within the community.