He was already free on bail in a child porn case, and now Philip Neri is back in the can on $100,000 bail, after getting caught in an Internet sting in which he thought he was corresponding with a 12-year-old California boy – but turned out to be corresponding with a police officer posing as a boy.
Neri got nailed when he traveled to Philadelphia International Airport expecting to meet the boy, but Pennsylvania State Police stopped him well short of the airport, on Route 38 in Maple Shade, three weeks after he’s believed to have begun the online relationship with the “boy.”
The “boy” was from San Jose, California, where police tipped off New Jersey State Police, especially after Neri reputedly included among several sexually overtoned e-mails encouragement to the “boy” to come live with him in southern New Jersey – even sending the “boy” a one-way airline ticket to Philadelphia. Neri has been charged with luring a minor through the Internet, attempted aggravated sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said.
Neri had first been arrested in April, when police seized computers full of child porn from his mobile home along Route 40. Then, he made $25,000 bail and was released. Now, he couldn’t make $100,000 bail and remained in Salem County Jail as of August 11, authorities told reporters.
The second arrest prompted authorities to search his home and his girlfriend’s Maple Shade condominium, seizing computers and other materials.
In other news on the fight against child porn:
OLMSTEAD FALLS, Ohio – The only detective investigating a child porn/child rape case – indeed, this small police force’s only detective – is now on administrative leave. Det. Alex Bakos, who was working to gather evidence against suspected child porner and child rapist Jimmy Ray Thompson, was put on leave after shooting and killing a suicidal man holding a gun on police officers. Police chief Jeff Rice has told reporters he believes Bakos acted properly, but his leave means turning the child rape/porn investigation to “officers trained in detective work.
La GRANGE PARK, Ill. – Former Willow Springs police officer David M. Wilson, now an information technology operations analyst, faces abuse and possible child porn charges with his wife, Sherry, after children said Wilson fondled them and an early review of computers and disks from the Wilson home showed evidence of child porn.
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – A local man who videotaped teen boys and young men alike under a ruse of forwarding his tapes to gay porn companies in California, is being held on child porn charges. Authorities have not yet disclosed his identity, but he’s said to have included promises of fame and money to persuade his alleged victims to pose for the videos.
