El fiscal del condado de Ocean, Bradley D.. Billhimer anunció que en mayo 19, 2025, Christopher Budelman, 37, del municipio de ladrillo, fue sentenciado por el Honorable Kenneth T.. Palmero, 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.
Esta investigación fue el resultado de una remisión de la Policía Estatal de Nueva Jersey sobre delitos contra niños en Internet. (CICA) Grupo de trabajo. 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; ese individuo fue finalmente identificado como Budelman.
En septiembre 27, 2022, Detectives de la Unidad de Delitos de Alta Tecnología de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Unidad de Investigaciones del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos, Unidad K-9 de la Policía Estatal de Nueva Jersey, y Departamento de Policía de Brick Township, ejecutó una orden de registro autorizada por el tribunal en la residencia de Budelman en Brick Township. Como resultado, Detectives seized multiple electronic devices, including a desktop computer with a hard-drive containing images of child sexual abuse material. Posteriormente, los detectives se enteraron de que Budelman estaba fuera del país.; como tal, 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.
En octubre 4, 2022, Budelman fue detenido por agentes de la Unidad de Investigaciones del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos en John F.. Aeropuerto Internacional Kennedy en la ciudad de Nueva York. Budelman was extradited to Ocean County, lodged in the Ocean County Jail, y posteriormente liberado como consecuencia de la reforma de la fianza de Nueva Jersey.
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. Como consecuencia, en diciembre 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, Contacto sexual criminal, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. En esa fecha, Budelman surrendered himself to Brick Township Police Headquarters; he was transported to the Ocean County Jail where he has been lodged since that date.
En septiembre 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. En octubre 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. En abril 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, quien manejó el caso en nombre del Estado, y elogia la Unidad de delitos de alta tecnología de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Unidad de Investigaciones del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos, Unidad K-9 de la Policía Estatal de Nueva Jersey, Departamento de policía del municipio de Brick, Grupo de trabajo sobre crímenes contra niños en Internet de la policía estatal de Nueva Jersey, Butler County (Ohio) Departamento del Sheriff, and Jefferson County (Colorado) Departamento del Sheriff, por su colaboración en relación con esta investigación que condujo al arresto de Budelman, Declaración de culpabilidad, y ahora su sentencia de prisión estatal.