Brick Township, NJ — Prosecutor Announces Guilty Plea in High‑Tech Child Exploitation Case

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Christian Kohl, 47, of Brick Township, has pleaded guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The plea was entered on March 25, 2026, before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, P.J.Cr.P.

At sentencing, scheduled for May 29, 2026, the State will seek:

• Five years in New Jersey State Prison
• Five-year period of parole ineligibility
• Parole Supervision for Life
• Mandatory registration as a Megan’s Law offender

Investigation Began With Cyber-Tips From National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

The case originated when the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received cyber‑tips indicating that an individual was sending and receiving child sexual abuse material online.

The referral was forwarded to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, which traced the activity to an IP address associated with Kohl’s Brick Township residence.

Undercover Detective Posed as a 14-Year-Old on Kik Messenger

Between May 2024 and August 2024, a Detective conducted an undercover operation on the Kik messenger app, posing as a 14‑year‑old girl.

During repeated conversations, the user—who claimed to be a 38‑year‑old male—sent numerous explicit photos and videos of himself, despite being told multiple times that the recipient was a minor.

Investigators later identified the user as Christian Kohl.

Search Warrant Leads to Arrest and Seizure of Digital Evidence

On August 15, 2024, Detectives from multiple agencies executed a court‑authorized search warrant at Kohl’s Brick Township home:

• 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

A forensic examination of Kohl’s cellphone uncovered multiple items of child sexual abuse material. He was arrested at the scene without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail. He was later released under New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines.

Further investigation revealed Kohl had sent or shared more than 25 illicit files with various users on Kik.

Prosecutor Commends Multi‑Agency Collaboration

Prosecutor Billhimer praised the coordinated efforts of:

• Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant‑Berry
• Assistant Prosecutor Lynn Juan
• Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit
• Homeland Security Investigations
• Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office
• Brick Township Police Department
• New Jersey State Police ICAC Task Force

He emphasized that the combined work of these agencies was critical in identifying, tracking, and apprehending the offender.