STANHOPE—Larry M. Noel, 49, of Stanhope was sentenced to seven years in New Jersey state prison on March 27 for attempting to sexually assault a minor. Superior Court Judge Christopher R. Kazlau, presiding in Bergen County, imposed the sentence following a jury conviction on November 12, 2025.
The sentence includes lifetime parole supervision and mandatory registration as a sex offender under Megan's Law. Noel was convicted of one count each of second-degree luring, second-degree attempted sexual assault, and third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child.
Defendant Caught in Sting Operation
According to evidence presented at trial, on April 11, 2019, Noel contacted an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old on the Adam4Adam social media platform. Noel identified himself as a 29-year-old male and arranged to meet the purported minor for sexual acts. He was arrested upon arrival at a predetermined location in Bergen County that was set up as part of "Operation Home Alone", a 16-defendant sting operation conducted by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General John Donovan and Danielle Scarduzio. Defense counsel was Alissa D. Hascup Esq. of Little Falls. The judicial procedings experienced significant delay when Noel's initial indictment was dismissed due to missing digital evidence (the undercover social media profile having been deleted by the platform), but it was subsequently reinstated following a successful appeal by the State to the Appellate Division.
Noel will be eligible for parole on March 6, 2028. Even if he is release, he will have to register as a sex offender, and he will remain subject to lifetime parole restrictions.
Related Articles
• Bergen County Cyber Crimes Arrest: New Milford Man Charged With First-Degree Child Sexual Abuse
• Ocean County College Dean Arrested in Child Sex Sting, Jailed Pending Trial
Sources
• New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, "Sussex County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Attempted Child Sexual Assault" (April 10, 2026)
• New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, "AG Grewal Announces Arrests of 16 Men in ‘Operation Home Alone’..." (April 24, 2019)
• State of New Jersey v. Larry M. Noel, Appellate Division Unpublished Decision A-1955-23 (November 26, 2024)
• Jay Edwards, WRNJ Radio, "Sussex County Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Attempted Child Sexual Assault" (April 11, 2026)
• Jeff Goldman, NJ.com, "N.J. man who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old for sex gets 7 years in prison" (April 10, 2026)