Recent online portrayals of a 14-year-old girl by Stafford Sheriff’s Detective Darryl Wells culminated in the arrest of Herbert A. Gerretz, Jr., of Estell Manor City, New Jersey. Gerretz, a 63-year-old man, was charged with 18 counts of Attempted Indecent Liberties with a Juvenile, one count of Use of an Electronic Communication Device to Solicit a Juvenile, and 17 additional second-offense charges of the same crime. Second and subsequent offense convictions carry mandatory prison sentences. If Gerretz is found guilty of all of these charges, he could potentially be sentenced to life in prison.

Gerretz initiated contact with the young girl that Wells was portraying in April of 2015. In the following months, Wells continued communications until he was able to positively identify the suspect and where he lived. During the continuing communications, the suspect displayed his face to Wells. Additionally, Gerretz unknowingly provided other information that assisted in identifying him.

Gerretz will be extradited to Stafford County for trial, according to Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Ryan Frank.

The New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce assisted the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in the identification and arrest of Gerretz. Gerretz’s New Jersey Booking Photo is below.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office conducts online investigations into persons who target children for exploitation. Detective Darryl Wells portrays juveniles in various social media and chat rooms to identify and locate individuals who are interested in such activity.