MIDDLESEX, N.J. – A Middlesex County sheriff's deputy was arrested after having sex with a 17-year-old and using social media to try and have sex with a 14-year-old who turned out to be an undercover police officer, according to N.J.com.
Joshua Padilla, 33, of Eatontown, New Jersey, was arrested Feb. 1 by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and Pennsylvania police on felony child porn and sex assault charges, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Monday.
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Padilla, who joined the county agency in July 2015 and had an annual salary of $56,690, has been suspended without pay, according to payroll information obtained through a public records request from N.J.com.
The officer is facing charges that include unlawful contact with a minor and sexual abuse of children -- manufacturing, disseminating and possessing child pornography, according to authorities.
Officials said they were tipped off last month to Padilla's relationship with the teen in Northampton County, where he recorded the two during a sexual encounter last spring and uploaded the videos to adultfriendfinder.com, where they were watched and shared with others, according to officials. The two are alleged to have met online.
During the investigation, 14 years old and sent two photos of his genitals while asking the teen for photos of herself, according to authorities.
Padilla is in jail in New Jersey and awaiting extradition to Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It was unknown if he had obtained legal counsel.