Minotola Man Pleads Guilty to Endangering Welfare of a Child
MAYS LANDING, NJ – On Thursday, June 1, 2023, Hector Soto, 50, of Minotola, NJ pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child (sexual conduct), as well as one count of third-degree possession of exploitive images of children stemming from his contact with a 13-year-old juvenile male in December of 2014.
The plea agreement calls for an aggregate of six years in New Jersey State Prison. ?Additionally, Soto will be required to register under Megan’s Law and be required to be on parole supervision for life.
A search of Soto’s phone in 2019 revealed explicit photos of the victim at the age of 13 as well as photos of other juveniles. ?The initial investigation was led by detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department.
The defendant will be sentenced at a later date pending an evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, NJ.
The State is represented by Assistant County Prosecutor Marlaina Mutchko.