Scotch Plains Man Arrested Over 'Lewd' Photos

A New Jersey State Police SWAT raid of a Beverly Avenue home in Scotch Plains last week has led to the arrest of a Scotch Plains man who is charged with sending inappropriate photos to a minor.

Michael Kekelis, 40, was arrested after the SWAT team executed a search warrant at 6 a.m. Friday and found photos on his computer that he allegedly sent to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Police allege that Kekelis talked online with the "girl" and sent "lewd materials," State Police Acting Captain Frank Davis said in a telephone interview.

During the raid, members of the state's Digital Technology Investigation Unit, accompanied by a tactical TEAMS unit – Technical Emergency and Mission Specialists – searched Kekelis' home and confiscated his computer and web camera, Davis said. 

Investigators declined to confirm whether the person was an undercover officer or to describe the exact nature of the materials, Davis said, because the investigation remains ongoing but confirmed that Kekelis was transported to the Union County Jail and released, pending a court date.

Kekelis faces a single charge of distributing obscene materials to a minor, a third-degree offense, Paul Loriquet, of the state Attorney General's office, said in a telephone interview. If convicted, he could serve up to five years in prison.