BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Andre DeMelo of Newark, a U.S. Army recruiter in New York, was arrested Tuesday and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced.

A search warrant was executed at DeMelo’s apartment in the 500 block of Irvine Turner Blvd., and authorities found images and videos of underage girls in his laptop computer.

If convicted of the charges, DeMelo faces 5 to 10 years in state prison and would have to register under Megan’s Law. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 15.

The search and arrest were conducted by the prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Task Force and the county sheriff’s officers.

DeMelo’s rank and military background were not immediately available.