MAYS LANDING — A former Egg Harbor Township diving coach and teacher’s aide pleaded guilty last month to using Snapchat to distribute child pornography.
Mark Balesteri, 30, of Egg Harbor Township was arrested on Feb. 14, 2019 following a monthslong investigation into his online activity and charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of children through the distribution and possession of child pornography.
He originally pleaded not guilty after being indicted in May. At the time, he was offered a plea agreement which his attorney asked for more time to review.
Balesteri pleaded guilty Feb. 19 before the Judge Sarah Beth Johnson to using his cell phone to send sexually exploitative images or videos of underage girls to other users on Snapchat.
This investigation was initiated because of information received by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, coordinated on the national level by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and on the state level by the New Jersey State Police.
Balesteri had served as the diving coach at Egg Harbor Township High School and was also employed as a teacher’s aide in the district, earning an annual salary of $21,702, state pension records show.
Because he was employed by the Egg Harbor Township Board of Education, he was ordered to forfeit his present public employment and any future public employment in this state.
Balesteri’s plea agreement includes a recommendation of five years in state prison and is also subject to Megan’s Law, an Avenel evaluation, and parole supervision for life. His sentencing is scheduled for April 3.
