PINE HILL, NJ — A Pine Hill man has been arrested and charged for attempting to meet with an underage girl for a sexual encounter after chatting online, reported Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Pine Hill Police Chief Christopher Winters.
Michael Marchionese, 51, of Pine Hill, is charged with four counts of first-degree attempted manufacturing of child sexual abuse material.
He is also charged with one count each of second-degree attempting to lure a child, second-degree attempted sexual assault of a minor, and third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child.
In October, Marchionese began communicating online with a person who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
The person chatting with Marchionese was actually an undercover detective from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit.
The conversation later moved from online to text messaging and continued over the course of multiple weeks.
During the conversation, Marchionese made multiple requests for nude photographs of the girl.
He ultimately arranged to meet the girl at a hotel in Cherry Hill for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.
On Nov. 21, the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New York Regional Fugitive Task Force – Camden Division arrested Marchionese at his home in Pine Hill.
A cell phone seized from Marchionese was determined to be the device used to communicate with the person who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
Marchionese was remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Patrick Collins of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit at (856) 225-5183.
Tips may also be sent to CAMDEN.TIPS.
