A Middlesex County man has been arrested for allegedly sending obscene material to a minor, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba.
Mahir Chaudhry, 21, of Piscataway, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. Authorities say that between March 2023 and May 2023, Chaudhry sent at least six obscene images via text message to a victim he knew was under the age of 16. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court on August 28, 2025, and was detained pending approval of certain bail conditions.
The charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“The defendant’s arrest is a testament to the combined work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to protect the people of New Jersey from individuals who prey on minor victims—no matter where the victims are located,” said Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba.
“Chaudhry’s arrest is impactful on many fronts. He can no longer cause harm to minor victims, as the complaint alleges, and his arrest serves as a warning to others who think their actions are unseen. The FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to find and apprehend these predators,” said SAC Stefanie Roddy of FBI Newark.
Habba credited special agents from the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit for leading the investigation, along with assistance from FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and international partners.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating federal, state, and local resources for prosecution and victim identification. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Maloy is representing the government in this case. Defense counsel is Timothy Donahue.
Authorities emphasize that charges in the complaint are accusations only; Chaudhry is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
