By: Yuritza Arroyo
Ocean County authorities announced that a resident was charged with crimes involving explicit images of minors.
According to Ocean County officials, Joseph D. Tuzzio, Jr., 42, of Jackson Township, was charged with Possession of Explicit Images of Minors and three counts of Distribution of Explicit Images of Minors.
Officials say the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force detected an individual uploading explicit images of minors to the internet using the Kik Messenger App.
According to Jackson Township Police, on October 27, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, United States Department of Homeland Security-Investigations Unit, and fellow officers executed a court-authorized search warrant on Tuzzio’s residence in Jackson Township.
Detectives say as a result of the warrant, two cell phones and a laptop computer were seized. A forensic examination of the electronic devices led to the discovery of more than 500 images of explicit images of minors on the laptop.
Additionally, Detectives issued a Communication Data Warrant to KIK for Tuzzio’s most recently utilized KIK subscriber account.
Authorities say KIK provided logs showing Tuzzio’s account as receiving and distributing the videos. The IP address associated with the activity was assigned to Tuzzio’s place of employment in Jackson.
On December 19, Tuzzio, accompanied by his attorney, surrendered himself at Jackson Township Police Headquarters, where he was processed and transported to the Ocean County Jail.
He was subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.