Child Porn Charges Bring 8-Year Sentence For Freehold Twp. Man

FREEHOLD, NJ – A Freehold Township man was sentenced Friday to a total of eight years in state prison in connection with the 2017 possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials, the Monmouth County prosecutor said.

James Simmons, 74, of Freehold Township was sentenced on Jan. 13 before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.

Simmons was sentenced to four years in a New Jersey State Prison on a third-degree charge of endangering the welfare of a child and a charge of possession of child sexual abuse materials, the prosecutor's office said.

Simmons also received eight years on a second-degree charges of endangering the welfare of a child and a charge of distribution of child sexual abuse materials, authorities said.

The two sentences will run concurrently.

Upon release, Simmons faces mandatory Megan’s Law registration and parole supervision for life, the office said.

Simmons was convicted of the charges on July 20, 2022.

A July 2017 investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, along with NJ Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Freehold Township Police Department, revealed that Simmons was in possession of a USB thumb drive with over 100 videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child.

It also revealed he had peer-to-peer file sharing programs from equipment located at his residence on Harding Road in Freehold Township.

This case was handled by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Dugan. Simmons is being represented by George B. Somers Jr. of Princeton.