Man Charged with Coercing Minors to Produce and Share Explicit Content Online

Federal authorities allege 19-year-old Julian Nova exploited multiple minors through online deception and blackmail between October and November 2023.

NEWARK, N.J. — A Bayonne man has been arrested and charged with multiple federal offenses related to the alleged exploitation of minors through online platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced on April 17. The charges stem from an investigation into reports that the man induced minors to produce and distribute sexually explicit material of themselves.

Julian Nova, 19, faces two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Nova was detained following an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court.

According to court documents and statements presented in court, Nova allegedly posed as a teenage girl to earn the trust of several minors over online platforms. Once trust was established, he reportedly convinced the victims to send explicit content of themselves. Investigators say Nova then used the obtained material to blackmail the victims, threatening to disseminate the images and videos to the victims’ families and friends unless they complied with further demands. Some of the coerced content allegedly involved acts of self-degradation.

Each charge carries significant legal penalties. The production of child pornography charges include a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years, along with fines up to $250,000. The coercion and enticement charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment. Distribution of child pornography holds a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years, while the possession charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with support from the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

This investigation falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative leverages federal, state, and local resources to investigate and prosecute offenders while assisting in the identification and rescue of victims.

As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.