Morris County Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting Minor

Carlos Xavier Urbina-Gutierrez faces federal charges after allegedly posing as a high school student to solicit minors online.

MORRISTOWN, NJ – A 23-year-old Morris County man has been charged with producing and possessing child pornography and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit behavior, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Carlos Xavier Urbina-Gutierrez, also known as Luis Urbina-Gutierrez, of Wharton, New Jersey, appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre.

According to court documents, in 2023, Urbina-Gutierrez used a fake online female persona to communicate with minor male victims at a Morris County high school. He allegedly posed as a student and, on December 25, 2023, used social media to lure one of the minors into participating in a video call that involved sexually explicit behavior. Urbina-Gutierrez is accused of surreptitiously recording the call and saving the footage to his phone. A forensic examination of his phone revealed an approximately one-minute video of the encounter.

The charges against Urbina-Gutierrez are severe. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The enticement of a minor charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. The possession of child pornography charge has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge includes potential fines of up to $250,000.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations’ Child Exploitation Group, along with the Wharton Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hardin is prosecuting the case.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.