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New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
NJ parents applaud new law that could send them to prison for their children's crimes: ‘You got to get the parents involved'
Some New Jersey moms and dads are backing a bold new law that could put them behind bars for their kids' crimes — with many complaining that parents just don't take their job seriously these days. 'It's changed now. My parents would have destroyed me if I would have been brought home by the cops. I would have told the cops, 'Just take me,'' said 51-year-old New Jersey father of four, Mark Barker. 'Now you got kids running the parents. The kids are in charge. Or, you got kids raising kids and they don't care,' he added. 'I agree with that new law because these parents are just letting their kids go out and putting the responsibility on someone else.' Advertisement 4 Gloucester Township mom Katie Crawford (left) is sick of troublemakers ruining things for others, and likes the law. Aristide Economopoulos The law, passed in Gloucester Township under the title 'Minors and Parent Responsibility,' says that parents could be fined $2,000 or spend 90 days in jail if their kids are repeatedly convicted of various crimes — with 28 qualifying offenses ranging from 'destruction of playground equipment' and 'immorality,' to loitering, assault and drug dealing. It was passed on July 28 in response to the disastrous June 2024 Gloucester Township Day festival, where a mob of 500 minors flooded the grounds and sparked brawls — then fled to a nearby shopping center and attempted to destroy a grocery store. Eleven people — including nine teens — were arrested, while three police officers were injured. Advertisement 'I was there that night. I've been a resident here for 40 years and attended Gloucester Township Day since I was a kid, and it was never like this,' said Gloucester Police Department Captain Timothy Kohlmyer. 'It was a real eye-opener. As long as I've lived here, we've never seen anything like that before.' The annual shindig — a local pastime — is a fundraiser for college scholarships. Juvenile arrests have spiked in Gloucester Township since the pandemic — nearly doubling from 68 in 2020 to 133 in 2023, police department figures show. Arrests declined to 98 in 2024, but remained elevated from before the pandemic. Most of the troublemakers appeared to be from out of town and were dumped at the festival without parental supervision, Kohlmyer added. The festival was such a fiasco that Gloucester, which sits just outside Philadelphia, decided to cancel it this year as similar incidents of teenage mobs continued across the state. Advertisement 4 The June 2024 festival brawl spilled into a nearby shopping center, where unruly teens tried to trash a supermarket. Debbie Rayner 4 Gloucester Township Police Department Captain Timothy Kohlmyer said the festival chaos was like nothing he's seen. Aristide Economopoulos Many parents have had enough — and hope the new law will shock some into grabbing control of their kids. 'They ruined it for everybody,' Katie Crawford, a 44-year-old Gloucester Township mother, said referring to the misbehaving youngsters at last year's Gloucester Township Day. Advertisement 'We're losing all the carnivals, and they're taking away kids' rights to wear backpacks on the boardwalk in Wildwood.' 'If it scares parents into parenting their kids, then I'm all for it,' she said of the ordinance. 4 Mark Barker, a father of four, thinks parents don't pay attention to their kids the way they used to and supports the law. Aristide Economopoulos A father who requested not to be named thinks forcing accountability from parents is a logical next step if they aren't holding their own kids accountable. 'I think it's good. It's been a problem because parents aren't punishing the kid who's causing the problem, so you're going to have to move up the chain,' the dad said. 'The kid's got to be held accountable or you're just going to have bedlam.' 'The incident at the town event, I was there, and if I have my 3-year-old with me I'm going to take the necessary steps to keep her safe. At the end of the day, all the US parents just want our kids to feel safe,' he added. 'You got to move further up the chain. You got to get the parents involved.' Gloucester Township Police Department previously told 6 ABC that punishments for parents would be 'handled on a case-by-case basis' and take into account 'the specific situation and the totality of circumstances.' 'Our ordinance was actually sampled from other towns,' Police Chief David Harkins told explaining that parents would receive warnings before punishments were on the table. 'We're not necessarily the first, but we're probably the first bigger town to adopt it.' Advertisement But some New Jersey parent advocacy groups have called the law — which passed by a unanimous town council vote — a 'very dangerous precedent' for parental rights in the state. 'Every family dynamic is different. Every Situation is different,' said Alex Bougher, chair of Bergen County Moms for Liberty chapter. 'I think outrage is probably the biggest thing that we're feeling.'
Boston Globe
09-05-2025
- Boston Globe
Gloucester police officer charged with receiving child pornography, federal authorities say
'The allegations being faced by this officer run counter to every value of the Gloucester Police Department,' Conley said. 'The Gloucester Police Department is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's Office as noted in their statement today, and will continue to do so.' Authorities say the agents seized Aiello's cell phone and laptop as well as a USB thumb drive during the search of his home and discovered a TOR browser was installed 'and actively running' on his laptop. Investigators allegedly found encrypted folders on the USB drive and laptop during a preliminary examination of the devices, the US attorney's office said. Advertisement Prosecutors allege Aiello was identified as a user with a registered account for a dark website where users could download, view, advertise, and distribute child sex abuse material, the statement said. 'As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Aiello was entrusted with safeguarding the community – and that includes protecting children from exploitation and abuse," US Attorney Leah Foley said in the statement. 'Instead, he allegedly participated in one of the most reprehensible forms of exploitation.' Advertisement James Crowley, acting special agent in charge for the FBI's Boston office, said those 'who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children.' 'That's why the FBI's Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force diligently pursues these cases," he said in the statement. 'Protecting kids from this physical and emotional trauma is our priority.' If convicted, Aiello could face a sentence of five to 20 years in prison and five years to a lifetime of probation, as well as a fine of $250,000, Foley's office said. It was not immediately clear Friday if Aiello was being represented by an attorney. Aiello comes from a family of Gloucester police officers with three brothers on the force, according to the police department's Nick Stoico can be reached at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Gloucester Police officer who was placed on leave charged with child porn possession, DOJ says
A Gloucester police officer placed on paid administrative leave nearly two weeks ago is facing child porn charges, authorities confirmed on Friday afternoon. Alexander Aiello, 24, of Gloucester, was charged with one count of possession of child porn. He will appear in federal court at a later date, according to the Department of Justice. Aiello is a patrol officer with the Gloucester Police Department. Charging documents allege he is a user with a registered account for a dark website that allows him to download, view, advertise, and distribute child sexual abuse material. After executing a search warrant on his residence, federal authorities say they seized his cell phone, laptop and a USB thumb drive, which all showed evidence of having recently used a dark web browser. 'As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Aiello was entrusted with safeguarding the community – and that includes protecting children from exploitation and abuse. Instead, he allegedly participated in one of the most reprehensible forms of exploitation,' said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 'There is no information indicating that the investigation is related to any conduct performed while on duty or related to their duties as a Gloucester Police Department employee,' Chief Conley wrote in a press release on April 28. A request for comment from Mayor Greg Verga went unanswered. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
