OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
2:00 PM – Friday, December 26, 2025
“Operation Bad Santa,” a multi-agency undercover operation led by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey with involvement from local police, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, targeted and caught a number of men who purportedly used social media and messaging apps to lure minors for sex.
Undercover officers posed as children online, and the suspects arrived at a designated location expecting to meet a minor for sex, where they were then arrested.
The operation ran primarily between December 8th and December 15, 2025, resulting in 12 arrests of men aged 23 to 65, according to a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. Disturbingly, among those arrested were individuals in positions of trust, such as a middle school teacher and a youth program coordinator.
The majority of defendants were charged with second-degree luring and third-degree attempted endangerment of a child, charges that carry the possibility of state prison time, while some also faced additional counts related to obscene material.
“This operation demonstrates our shared commitment to protecting children and holding offenders accountable.” FBI Special Agent Stefanie Roddy stated in a press release.
Eight of the suspects face charges of second-degree luring and third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child through sexual conduct:
- Delpis Reynoso-Castro, 26, of New Brunswick
- Marcos Aguila, 57, of East Brunswick
- Jose Leguia, 57, of Old Bridge
- Hareshkumar “Harry” Vala, 44, of Dunellen
- Vedant Khandelwal, 38, of Bridgewater
- Kevin Knox, 65, of North Brunswick
- Cameron Ameye, 33, of Bloomingdale
- Joseph Davicsin, 46, of East Brunswick
Among the group of deplorables, 33-year-old Ameye was a program coordinator for Youth Rise, an academic readiness and career pathways program at Passaic County Community College, and 46-year-old Davicsin was a middle school teacher at Chessie Dentley Roberts Academy School No. 30 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Two of the suspects — Jorge Mora, 52, of Jackson, and Akash Shah, 23, of East Brunswick — are charged with the luring and attempted endangering counts, plus distribution of obscene material to a minor.
Raul Angeles, 53, of Asbury Park, faces a third-degree charge of attempted endangerment of a child through sexual conduct, and James Keating, 59, of Edison, is charged with the same third-degree offense, along with an additional count of distributing obscene material to a minor.
“This operation’s success reflects the power of cooperation among multiple agencies and stands as both a beacon of hope for our community and a stark warning to those who attempt to victimize our most vulnerable population; we will relentlessly pursue justice,” said East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco in a press release.
The men were apprehended upon arriving at what they believed to be a child’s home, where they were met by law enforcement officers.
Officials say the operation is ongoing and emphasize that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Authorities also urge parents to monitor their children’s social media use, underscoring the continuing effort to combat online child exploitation.
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