Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 29-year-old South Bound Brook man was arrested this morning and charged with attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he met in cyberspace and thought was a 14-year-old girl.
Officials say Ryan Fischer, of the 300 block of Canal Road, was charged with Attempted Luring (Second Degree), Providing Obscene Material to Person Under 18 (Third Degree) and Attempting to Debauch the Morals of a Child (Third Degree).
Fischer believed he was sending pictures of his genitals and videos of himself masturbating to the girl, but the actual recipient was a detective from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.
He was taken into custody this morning at his residence following the execution of a search warrant.
He was lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a first appearance in Superior Court.
The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment. Fischer will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Remy.
Fischer became a suspect in December during a BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit proactive investigation into the exploitation of children in cyberspace.
He had discussed meeting the girl at a Bordentown Township motel for sex , according to officials.
Anyone with reason to believe the defendant has had inappropriate contact with a minor is asked to contact the BCPO at tips@co.burlington.nj.us.
The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Cinnaminson Township Police Department, United States Homeland Security Investigations .
Cherry Hill Office, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crime Unit, and the South Bound Brook Police Department. The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Sergeant Dave Kohler.
The BCPO, SCPO and Cinnaminson Township Police Department are members of the New Jersey State PolicePolice Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The BCPO also belongs to the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.
All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.