By: Richard L. Smith
An 18-year-old Toms River resident is facing serious charges after investigators allegedly discovered explicit images involving minors on his cellphone during an investigation into online activity.
According to a statement released by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Joseph Roach, 18, was arrested and charged on October 13, 2026, following an investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Authorities said the investigation began after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning an individual suspected of exchanging sexually explicit images of minors over the internet.
Detectives assigned to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, working alongside Toms River Township Police, traced the suspected online activity to an IP address connected to a residence in Toms River.
Further investigative efforts led authorities to identify Roach as the individual allegedly responsible.
On October 13, detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant at Roach’s residence, where investigators examined electronic evidence, including his cellphone.
According to prosecutors, a preliminary forensic examination revealed that a WhatsApp account associated with Roach had allegedly transmitted explicit images of minors to another account on the messaging platform.
Investigators reported finding the same images stored on Roach’s cellphone.
Roach was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains detained pending a court hearing.
He faces charges related to the possession and distribution of explicit images involving minors.