A CyberTip has led to charges of possession of child pornography being filed against a resident of Howell.
William Whesper, 54, was arrested on Feb. 19 and charged with one count of second degree endangering the welfare of a child for possession of child pornography. Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced the charges against Whesper on Feb. 25.
After receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, law enforcement personnel began an investigation into the individual who was reported to be viewing child pornography online in Howell, according to the prosecutor.
The investigation led law enforcement personnel to Whesper and an initial review of his electronics devices revealed he allegedly possessed thousands of images of child pornography, according to the prosecutor.
On Feb. 19, officers from the Howell Police Department and a member of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested Whesper. He was charged with second degree possession of child pornography.
Whesper was initially placed in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, pending a detention hearing, which was scheduled for Feb. 28. If convicted of the second degree offense, he faces up to 10 years in state prison, according to the prosecutor’s office.
