Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on September 27, 2024, Andrew Anastasio, 60, of Jackson Township, was sentenced by the Honorable Kimarie Rahill, J.S.C., to five years New Jersey State Prison – with a three year period of parole ineligibility – as a result of his previously entered guilty plea to Distribution of Child Pornography. Anastasio will also be subject to the terms of Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life. Anastasio pled guilty to the charge before Judge Rahill on April 11, 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 received cyber-tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual was sending/receiving images of child pornography from the internet.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit identified an IP address associated with a Jackson Township residence as the location from which the individual was accessing images of child pornography from the internet. That individual was ultimately identified as Anastasio.
On September 23, 2021, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit and Jackson Township Police Department SWAT Team executed a court-authorized search warrant on Anastasio’s residence. An initial forensic examination of Anastasio’s laptop computer by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit led to the discovery of several items of child pornography. Anastasio was taken into custody at his residence without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail, and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Lynn Juan and Assistant Prosecutor Madeline Buczynski 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, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Jackson Township Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department SWAT Team, and New Jersey State Police ICAC Task Force, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Anastasio’s arrest, guilty plea, and now his state prison sentence.