By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Ocean County announced that on February 11, Edward Lynch, 53, of Toms River, was sentenced by the Honorable David M. Fritch, J.S.C., to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, with 10 years of parole ineligibility, relative to his previously entered guilty plea to Distribution of Explicit Materials Involving Minors.
Lynch will also be subject to the terms of Megan’s Law as well as Parole Supervision for Life, OCPO officials say.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated that this investigation was the result of a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
NCMEC received cyber tips that an individual was downloading images of Explicit Materials Involving Minors from the internet; an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit identified an IP address associated with a residence in Toms River as the source of the downloads, OCPO authorities said.
According to Ocean County officials, on August 24, 2023, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, and Toms River Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit executed a court-authorized search warrant on the subject residence.
As a result, Detectives seized multiple electronic devices from the residence, Ocean County authorities said. An initial forensic examination of the devices by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit led to the discovery of more than 1,000 items of Explicit Materials Involving Minors. Further investigation revealed that Lynch was the individual responsible for downloading the Explicit Materials Involving Minors in question.
Ocean County officials stated that on August 24, 2023, Lynch was charged with Possession of Explicit Materials Involving Minors. Lynch was taken into custody at his residence without incident; he was thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released under New Jersey Bail Reform.
In furtherance of the investigation, a full forensic examination of all seized electronic devices conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit revealed that Lynch knowingly distributed more than 1,000 items of Explicit Materials Involving Minors by utilizing the internet applications Telegram, Session, and Wickr Me, OCPO officials say.
As a consequence, Lynch was additionally charged on April 21, 2024, with Distribution of Explicit Materials Involving Minors, along with a second count of Possession of Explicit Materials Involving Minors, according to Ocean County officials.
OCPO official said that on that date, Lynch surrendered himself to Toms River Township Police Headquarters; he was transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released under New Jersey Bail Reform.