An area man has pleaded guilty to criminal sexual acts against a young family member, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.

On Thursday, March 12, before the Honorable Henry Butehorn, J.S.C., Ricardo Negron, 43, pleaded guilty to first-degree manufacture of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child via sexual conduct stemming from an incident involving child pornography that was shared online.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Negron faces up to 14 years in a New Jersey state prison. He will have to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed pursuant to the provisions of the New Jersey No Early Release Act (NERA). Negron will also be subject to parole supervision for life and will be required to register under Megan’s Law once released from custody.

The case background …

The guilty plea stems from a collaborative investigation initiated in February of 2024, led by Detective Michelle Tucker of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and Detective Eric Devlin of the Keyport Police Department.

The investigation determined that Negron took a sexually compromising photograph of a juvenile family member while the juvenile was asleep. Negron then shared the photograph over a social media platform.

Negron’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, June 27, before Judge Butehorn.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

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