Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on May 19, 2025, Christopher Budelman, 37, of Brick Township, was sentenced by the Honorable Kenneth T. Palmer, J.S.C., to seven years New Jersey State Prison relative to his previously entered guilty pleas to two counts of Sexual Assault. Due to the age of one of the victims, one of the sentences will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act (NERA), meaning that Budelman will be required to serve at least 85 percent of that prison sentence before he may be considered for parole eligibility. The sentence as to the second victim will run concurrently. Budelman pled guilty to both charges before Judge Palmer on October 4, 2024.
This investigation was the result of a referral from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The ICAC Task Force detected that an individual was uploading images of child sexual abuse material to the internet using the Kik Messenger App. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit identified a Kik Messenger user with a Verizon Wireless account as the individual uploading the images of child sexual abuse material; that individual was ultimately identified as Budelman.
On September 27, 2022, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, United States Department of Homeland Security-Investigations Unit, New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit, and Brick Township Police Department, executed a court-authorized search warrant on Budelman’s residence in Brick Township. As a result, Detectives seized multiple electronic devices, including a desktop computer with a hard-drive containing images of child sexual abuse material. Detectives subsequently learned that Budelman was out of the country; as such, he was charged with Possession of Child Sexual Assault Material on a warrant, and his name was entered into the National Crime Information Center Database.
On October 4, 2022, Budelman was taken into custody by Officers from United States Department of Homeland Security-Investigations Unit at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Budelman was extradited to Ocean County, lodged in the Ocean County Jail, and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
A full forensic examination of the electronic devices seized by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit – conducted following the execution of the September 27, 2022 search warrant – revealed that Budelman had enticed two minors – one in Colorado and one in Ohio – to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he engaged in acts of sexual self-gratification. Budelman recorded and saved those video chats on his computer. As a consequence, on December 20, 2022, Budelman was additionally charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault, two counts of Sexual Assault, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, two counts of Manufacturing Child Sexual Abuse Material, Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material, Criminal Sexual Contact, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. On that date, Budelman surrendered himself to Brick Township Police Headquarters; he was transported to the Ocean County Jail where he has been lodged since that date.
On September 7, 2023, Budelman was charged by the United States Attorney’s Office with two counts of Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and one count of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material arising out of the above-described investigation. On October 2, 2024, Budelman pled guilty to two counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and one count of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material in United States District Court of New Jersey before United States District Court Judge Zahid N. Quraishi. On April 25, 2025, Judge Quraishi sentenced Budelman to 15 years in Prison as a result of his previously entered guilty pleas. Budelman’s federal sentence and state prison sentence will run concurrently.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater, Senior Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry, and Chief Trial Attorney Kristin Pressman, who handled the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, United States Department of Homeland Security-Investigations Unit, New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit, Brick Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Butler County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Department, and Jefferson County (Colorado) Sheriff’s Department, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Budelman’s arrest, guilty plea, and now his state prison sentence.