Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on May 19, 2025, Edward Lynch, 52, of Toms River, pled guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material before the Honorable David M. Fritch, J.S.C. At the time of his sentencing, the State will be seeking a term of ten years New Jersey State Prison – with a ten-year period of parole ineligibility. He will be subject to the terms of Megan’s Law, and the State will move for Parole Supervision for Life.
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 child sexual abuse material 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 location from which the individual was downloading these images.
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. 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 child sexual abuse material. Further investigation revealed that Lynch was the individual responsible for downloading the child sexual abuse material in question. On August 24, 2023, Lynch was charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Lynch was taken into custody at his residence without incident; he was thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
In furtherance of the investigation, a full forensic examination on 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 child sexual abuse material by utilizing the internet applications Telegram, Session, and Wickr Me. As a consequence, Lynch was additionally charged on April 21, 2024 with Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material, along with a second count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. On that date, Lynch surrendered himself to Toms River Township Police Headquarters; 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 Senior Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry who is handling the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, Toms River Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit, and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Lynch’s guilty plea, and soon his state prison sentence.