A Passaic County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly using a hidden camera to record children in his bathroom and attempting to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sex, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin stated June 18.
Bradford Flaker, 42, of Hawthorne, was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree luring and attempted sexual assault, and several second-degree counts of manufacturing, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Authorities say Flaker was arrested after communicating with a New Jersey State Police undercover officer posing as a minor on a messaging app. According to officials, Flaker’s banned account had shared over 100 videos and a dozen images containing child sexual exploitation material. Chat logs allegedly revealed he had placed hidden cameras in his bathroom to record children.
“This defendant is charged with allegedly using a hidden camera to secretly record unsuspecting children in his home, sharing those images with others, and attempting to meet a child to sexually assault them,” Platkin said in a statement. “Fortunately, law enforcement stepped in and arrested the defendant before he could do further harm.”
Flaker allegedly arranged to meet the undercover officer in a park in Belmar on May 21 and was arrested upon arrival. During a recorded interview, authorities said he admitted to recording juvenile girls with a hidden camera, communicating with someone he believed was a 13-year-old, and obtaining sexual gratification from the chats and videos.
Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, called the allegations “reprehensible and deeply disturbing,” emphasizing the agency’s priority in protecting children from exploitation.
“This defendant is a prime example of coordinated law enforcement efforts in this space,” said Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton. “We will continue to use all available enforcement tools to stop this criminal behavior.”
Hawthorne Fire Chief Joseph Speranza confirmed that Flaker, a member of the department, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the legal process. “He is on leave until proven guilty,” Speranza said.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Michael Forte under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Lisa Rastelli.
If convicted, Flaker faces up to 20 years in state prison and fines up to $200,000 for first-degree crimes. Second-degree charges carry penalties of five to 10 years in prison and fines up to $150,000.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hawthorne NJ man accused of attempting to meet 13-year-old for sex