Brick Man Sent Nudes To Detective Posing As Teen Girl: Prosecutor

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township man has been arrested after he sent nude photos and video of himself to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Christian M. Kohl, 46, was charged with possession of child pornography, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and attempt to provide obscene material to a minor and arrested on Thursday, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.

Authorities investigating tips about a person sending and receiving child pornography identified Kohl's address as the one where the images were being shared, the prosecutor's office said.

In addition, a detective posing as a 14-year-old girl on an undercover chat investigation on the Kik messenger service had conversations from May through August with a user who identified himself as a 38-year-old man, the prosecutor's office said.

During the conversations the user sent "numerous inappropriate nude photos and videos of himself" to the detective, in spite of the detective repeatedly telling the user "she" was a 14-year-old girl, authorities said.

The user was ultimately identified as Kohl.

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.

Authorities searched Kohl's home on Thursday and an initial forensic examination of Kohl’s cell phone by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit led to the discovery of several items of child pornography, authorities said.

Kohl was arrested and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he is being held pending a detention hearing.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Brick Township Police Department, and New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force cooperated in the investigation.