El fiscal del condado de Ocean, Bradley D.. Billhimer anunció que en noviembre 6, 2023, Kyle Banner, 48, del municipio de ladrillo, pled guilty to three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, ante el Honorable Guy P. ryan, P.J.Cr.P. At the time of his sentencing, el Estado buscará un plazo de 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as to each count, which will run concurrently. Además, the State will be seeking the forfeiture of Banner’s teaching license, as well as any and all future public employment. Finalmente, Banner will also be required to register as a Megan’s Law offender, and be subject to Parole Supervision for Life.
En abril 23, 2023, administrators at Toms River Intermediate North were alerted that Banner – a teacher at both Toms River Intermediate North and Ocean County College – posted sexually explicit photographs of himself to his public Twitter profile. En abril 24, 2023, Banner was suspended from his teaching position without pay.
Una investigación exhaustiva realizada por la Unidad de Víctimas Especiales de la Fiscalía del Condado de Ocean, Unidad de Delitos de Alta Tecnología de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Oficina de detectives del departamento de policía del municipio de Toms River, y la Unidad de Investigación de la Escena del Crimen de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Ocean, determined that students had viewed the sexually explicit images by accessing Banner’s public Twitter profile. Further investigation revealed that the photographs were taken in his classroom at Toms River Intermediate North. Durante el transcurso de la investigación, Detectives also discovered that Banner sent inappropriate photographs of himself to a student via Snapchat between the months of October and December 2022. Detectives also recovered numerous images of Banner engaging in sexual conduct with himself in his classroom at Toms River Intermediate North.
En mayo 23, 2023, Banner surrendered himself to the Toms River Township Police Department. Fue procesado y transportado a la cárcel del condado de Ocean., y posteriormente liberado como consecuencia de la reforma de la fianza de Nueva Jersey.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr who is handling the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Unidad de Delitos de Alta Tecnología de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Oficina de detectives del departamento de policía del municipio de Toms River, y la Unidad de Investigación de la Escena del Crimen de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Ocean, por sus esfuerzos de colaboración en relación con esta investigación, leading to Banner’s guilty pleas.