Atlantic County, NJ, Man Pleads Guilty to Endangering the Welfare of a Child
A man from Minotola has pleaded guilty to child porn-related charges.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says on Thursday, 50-year-old Hector Soto pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child (sexual conduct) and one count of third-degree possession of exploitive images of children stemming from his
contact with a 13-year-old boy in December 2014.
A search of Soto's phone in 2019 revealed explicit photos of the victim as well pictures of other children.
The initial investigation was led by detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department.
The plea agreement calls for an aggregate sentence of six years in state prison, he will be under parole supervision for life, and will need to register as a Megan's Law offender.
The defendant will be sentenced at a later date pending an evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel.