TOMS RIVER – Robert C. Shea II, 42, was arrested October 22 and charged with distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, according to court records and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Shea, who lives in Berkeley and works as an attorney in Toms River, is accused of using Snapchat to send an image depicting a child engaged in a prohibited sexual act. He is also charged with third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material. The distribution charge is a second-degree crime.
The investigation began after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a Snapchat account allegedly used to send or receive child sexual abuse material, the prosecutor’s office said.
Investigators traced internet addresses associated with a Berkeley residence and an office building in Toms River, according to the prosecutor’s announcement. Detectives searched both locations on October 22. A preliminary examination of devices at Shea’s home found numerous images, while a phone found at the Toms River office contained the Snapchat application allegedly used to send an image. The prosecutor’s office said that image was also found on Shea’s phone.
A probable cause affidavit filed with the complaint says detectives interviewed Shea after advising him of his rights. The detective wrote that Shea told investigators he worked at R.C. Shea Associates in Toms River, where his father is managing partner, and admitted to sending and receiving child sexual abuse material in online chats on different social media platforms. The affidavit also says Shea acknowledged owning the phone allegedly used to send the image and other devices at his home.
Shea was taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he remained pending a detention hearing, according to the prosecutor’s office. The charges are accusations, and Shea is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jackson Mayor Calls For Attorney’s Removal
The night before the Prosecutor’s Office issued a press release about the arrest, Jackson Mayor Jennifer Kuhn posted a statement on social media calling for Shea’s removal as the township Planning Board’s attorney. She also said she was moving to end the township’s relationship with his law firm.
“I am horrified to learn about the arrest and alleged crimes committed by Jackson Township’s planning board attorney, Robert Shea, Jr.,” Kuhn wrote. “If true, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Kuhn said she had known Shea and his family for years and described the allegations as a shock. She expressed concern for the alleged victims and their families.
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