Community Corner
Union County Man Arrested For Attempting Sexual Encounter With A Minor
After a three-week investigation led by the Linden Police Department, Philip Verrinder, 38, was arrested for attempting a sexual encounter with a minor.
According to the Union County Prosecutor's Office:
A Linden man has been arrested and charged with attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with an underage male, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Wednesday.
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Phillip Verrinder, 38, is charged with second-degree luring, with bail set at $100,000 by state Superior Court Judge Frederic R. McDaniel.
Verrinder was arrested Tuesday in Rahway River Park following a three-week undercover investigation launched by the Linden Police Department and supported by the Prosecutor’s Office’s High Tech Crimes Unit. He was expected to be lodged in Union County Jail, with a first appearance scheduled for later this week.
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“This was a true collaborative effort by the Linden Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office that resulted in the removal of a sexual predator from our streets,” Linden Police Chief James Schulhafer said.
Second-degree crimes typically result in terms of 5 to 10 years in state
prison.
This investigation remains active. Anyone with additional information
about Verrinder’s activities is being urged to contact Linden Police Detective
Steve Zevlikaris at 908-474-8520.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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