Brick Man Who Filmed Children Performing Sex Acts Sentenced

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township man has been sentenced in Ocean County court for enticing two minors to perform sexual acts on themselves while he recorded them over the internet, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Christopher T. Budelman, 37, was sentenced to seven years in state prison on each of two counts of sexual assault by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Budelman pleaded guilty in October in the incidents that happened in 2022, the prosecutor's office said.

The seven-year sentences are to run concurrently, Palmer said. Due to the age of one of the victims, one of the sentences is subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Budelman must serve 85 percent of the term before becoming eligible for parole, the prosecutor's office said.

Budelman was sentenced earlier this month to 15 years in federal prison for the crimes.

Budelman turned himself in to Brick Township Police on Dec. 20, 2022, after authorities charged him 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, criminal sexual contact, and possession of child sexual abuse material, the prosecutor's office said.

That followed an investigation prompted by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which found a person was uploading images of child sexual abuse material to the internet using the Kik Messenger App. Authorities determined the person was Budelman and on Sept. 27, 2022, searched his home.

Detectives seized multiple electronic devices, including a desktop computer with a hard-drive containing images of child sexual abuse material. The full forensic examination of the electronic devices revealed Budelman had enticed two minors – one in Colorado and one in Ohio – using Kik to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he engaged in acts of sexual self-gratification, authorities said.

Budelman recorded and saved those video chats on his computer, authorities said.

He was out of the country at the time but was arrested Oct. 4, 2022, at John F. Kennedy International Airport when he returned, authorities said.

Budelman remains in the Ocean County Jail, where he has been since Dec. 20, 2022, authorities said.