TOMS RIVER — A Barnegat man has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material after investigators said he shared more than 1,000 illegal files through the Kik Messenger app.
Fabian Lugo-Sanchez, 28, entered the guilty plea June 15 before Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Prosecutors said they will seek a 10-year New Jersey State Prison sentence with a 10-year period of parole ineligibility when Lugo-Sanchez is sentenced Oct. 2.
The case began with a referral from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about someone sending and receiving child sexual abuse material online, authorities said.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad traced the activity to an IP address connected to a home in Barnegat Township, prosecutors said. Investigators said the account was being used to access and share child sexual abuse material through Kik Messenger.
Authorities later identified Lugo-Sanchez as the person behind the accounts, prosecutors said. Further investigation found he had shared more than 1,000 items of child sexual abuse material.
Lugo-Sanchez surrendered Feb. 5 at Barnegat Township Police Headquarters with his attorney present. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
Billhimer credited Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry, who is prosecuting the case, along with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Barnegat Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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