TRENTON — After scouring the internet for three months, officials have arrested 27 people across New Jersey on charges of owning and sharing child pornography, Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa announced today.

Among those arrested were the 50-year-old Morristown superintendent of public works; a 43-year-old Atlantic County man who allegedly took photos while sexually assaulting a minor; a 66-year-old Pennsauken man previously convicted of sexually assaulting a minor; and an unidentified 17-year-old in Moorestown, who will be charged as a juvenile.

Chiesa said he brought in more than 100 law enforcement officers for the sting, called "Operation Watchdog." Yet most of the investigation took place in cyberspace, he said, with detectives following the trail of hidden digital "fingerprints" embedded in computer files.

Law enforcement officials said they have access to a large database of pornography that depicts children, and that many of the images and videos were traced to the New Jersey residents. They are accused of downloading and distributing the material through "peer-to-peer" networks — more commonly used to share music or films.

"We must banish the misguided notion that online viewing and sharing of child pornography is a victimless crime," Chiesa said. "It’s videos and pictures of children being raped and tortured, and without the demand for this material, we wouldn’t have people producing it."

Chiesa said Bernard Cahill, 43, of Folsom, was also charged with sexual assault and with creating child pornography. Authorities said they found pictures on Cahill’s cell phone that showed him molesting a young daughter of a woman he was seeing.

Arrested in Operation Watchdog:

• Cesar Salgado-Maya, Audubon

• Joshua Kane, Wayne

• John T. Kondes, Bayonne

• Joseph Marella, Passaic

• Jeremy Gardner, Livingston

• Joshua Ferreri, Berlin

• Jared Pacifici, Manalapan

• Asaf Guttman, Bloomfield

• Max Mejia, Atlantic City

• Scott Hersh, Mount Arlington

• Robert Knapp, Old Bridge

• Jose A. Velasquez, Clifton

• Jasmyn E. Oliver, Union Township

• Andrew Rodriguez, Park Ridge

• Ryan Taylor, Lindenwold

• William J. Brooks, Pennsauken

• Armondo Flores, Bridgeton City

• Christopher Guzman, Camden

• Lucas F. Walsh, Maple Shade

• Bernard Cahill, Folsom

• Robert Rowe, Union Township

• Unnamed juvenile, Moorestown

• David Ingoglia, Byram

• Collin Tillet, Hamilton (Atlantic)

• John Mulligan, Ocean City

• Charles E. Jones, Morristown

Also arrested was Charles Jones, 50, a Morristown public official in charge of public works, zoning permits, engineering studies and garbage collection. Mayor Timothy Dougherty of Morristown said Jones, who has worked for the municipality since 2001, has been placed on a leave of absence.

"Without jeopardizing the pending criminal investigation and the prosecution, let me be clear that I am deeply disturbed about these serious charges," Dougherty said in a statement. "We take any allegation of misconduct very seriously and will conduct a thorough administrative review of the facts when they are made available."

All the arrests were carried out last week, except for that of Cesar Salgado-Maya, 23, of Audubon, who was arrested March 1 because his home is attached to a day care center, officials said. Three other unidentified suspects were still being sought today.

The Attorney General’s Office said one suspect, William Brooks, 66, of Pennsauken, had a prior conviction as a sex offender. The charges, in Pennsylvania, also involved a minor.

Most of those arrested today were released pending action by a grand jury, which must decide whether to indict the 27. Five were being held in the Camden County jail pending bail, including Brooks, Cahill and Salgado-Maya.

Officials said only Jose Velasquez, 20, of Clifton; Andrew Rodriguez, 27, of Park Ridge; and Joshua Ferreri, 25, of West Berlin, had retained attorneys. Velasquez’s attorney declined to comment, saying formal charges had not yet been filed. The others could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for Chiesa, Peter Aseltine, said similar sweeps had been conducted in 2007 and 2004, leading to a total of 80 arrests. When Chiesa took office in January, he immediately launched a new investigation, Aseltine said.

The typical sentence for possessing child pornography is 18 months, he said, but if offenders have no prior convictions there is no presumption of jail time. On the other hand, he added, distribution is a more serious crime with a presumption of five to 10 years of incarceration.

Aseltine said the state is basing its charges partly on a 2010 New Jersey appellate court ruling that found placing child pornography in a folder other users can access amounts to distribution.

Chiesa emphasized the state would constantly monitor the internet in an effort to stamp out the sharing of child pornography.

"People think because they view these images in the privacy of their homes that we’re not watching," he said. "We are."

By Salvador Rizzo and Christopher Baxter/Statehouse Bureau Staff

Related coverage:

• Former Montclair Kimberley Academy teacher admits to child porn possession

• Morris County man accused of using hidden cameras to record nude images of young girls

• Suspects in 20 N.J. towns arrested on child pornography charges