Four Township Residents Sentenced For Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault Of Girl

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Four township residents were sentenced to a combined 67 years in prison for their roles in the sexual assault of one of their 7-year-old children, authorities said on May 6.

The four – Marina/Matthew Volz, 32; Ashley/Adam Romero, 28; Sean Allen, 54, and Dulcinea Gnecco, 21 pled guilty to a host of charges for the human trafficking, sexual assault and creation of child pornography of Volz’s 7-year-old daughter.

Volz, Romero and Allen told police that they operated a “family-owned transgender pornography production studio specializing in amateur, BDSM and taboo fetish content” from their Coburn Lane home, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Detectives’ investigation showed that in December 2018, Volz traveled to the West Coast to pick up her daughter and “bring the child back to New Jersey with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the child,” according to the release.  “Romero and Allen assisted Volz in bringing the child to New Jersey to be sexually assaulted and filmed.  Once in New Jersey, defendants Romero and Allen jointly sexually assaulted the child and filmed the assault, the video of which was recovered from multiple electronic items within the home.”

  A search of the devices revealed “multiple text messages and other electronic communications among Volz, Romero, Allen and third parties discussing the sexual assault of the child,” according to the release. 

Police also recovered firearms, a high-capacity ammunition magazine, and cocaine from the home. according to the release.     

The four were arrested on May 29, 2019 and entered their guilty please on November 16, 2022, according to the release.

Volz pled guilty to

• 1^st degree Human Trafficking
• 1^st degree Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking
• 1^st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 2^nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 1^st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography
• 2^nd degree Conspiracy to Endanger the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography
• 2^nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by engaging in conduct that would impair or debauch the child
• 1^st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 2^nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by engaging in conduct that would impair or debauch the child
• 4^th degree Possession of a High Capacity Ammunition Magazine.

During her guilty plea, defendant Volz admitted that she brought her child to New Jersey with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with her, and thereafter sexually assaulted her child both alone and jointly with defendant Romero, and filmed the sexual assault.

Romero pled guilty to:

• 1^st degree Human Trafficking
• 1^st degree Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking
• 1^st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 2^nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 1^st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography
• 2^nd degree Conspiracy to Endanger the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography
• 2^nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by engaging in conduct that would impair or debauch the child
• 1^st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography
• 3^rd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by possessing child pornography.

During her guilty plea, defendant Romero admitted that she assisted defendant Volz in bringing Volz’s child to New Jersey with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the child, and thereafter sexually assaulted the child jointly with defendant Volz and filmed the sexual assault.

Allen pled guilty to:

• 1^st degree Human Trafficking
• 1^st degree Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking
• 1^st degree Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 2^nd degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault
• 1^st degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child by creating child pornography. 

During his guilty plea, defendant Allen admitted that he assisted defendants Volz and Romero in bringing defendant Volz’s child to New Jersey to be sexually assaulted and filmed.

Gnecco pled guilty to: two counts:

• 2^nd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child
• 3^rd degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. 

During her guilty plea, defendant Gnecco admitted that she filmed the child victim while the victim was partially naked.

On May 6, Volz was sentenced to 25 years in prison with a 25-year period of parole ineligibility; Romero was sentenced to 25 years in State prison with a 25-year period of parole ineligibility; Allen was sentenced to 12 years in State prison with a 10-year period of parole ineligibility, and Gnecco was sentenced to five years in State prison, according to the release.

Volz, Romero and Allen will be required to register pursuant to Megan’s Law and be placed on parole supervision for life upon their release from prison, the release said.

The investigation was initiated by an anonymous tip in January 2019 to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency about suspected abuse to the child, the release said.

The night the tip was made, Franklin Township Police and staff from the NJ DCPP investigated and ultimately removed teh child from the home, according to the release.

The child was interviewed by authorities the next day, and the investigation continued, the release said.

Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart credited the anonymous tipster for helping to save the young girl.

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