Teen Charged With Receiving Nude Photos Of Girl, Posing As Fitness Model
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (CBS) -- Authorities in South Jersey say they have caught a catfish, and now he's in jail facing child porn charges after he allegedly created a bogus social media profile to trick young girls.
Nineteen-year-old Anthony Merletto is not a fitness model. But authorities in Burlington County say he created a fake Facebook profile saying he was and used it to entice a 13-year-old girl from Texas into sending him nude photos of herself.
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Burlington County prosecutor Robert Bernardi says they found numerous inappropriate pictures and videos of at least one minor on the young man's cell phone on January 6.
Police began investigating him in September after the catfish profile was flagged by Facebook and reported to authorities.
Merletto, who is from Browns Mills, is being held without bail and charged with possession of child pornography and two counts of child endangerment.