By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Ocean County announced that on October 4, Christopher Budelman, 37, of Brick Township , pled guilty to two counts of Explicit Contact before the Honorable Kenneth T. Palmer, J.S.C., in connection with incidents that occurred in June 2022.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated at the time of his sentencing that the State would seek a term of seven years in New Jersey State Prison for each count. Budelman would also be subject to the terms of Megan’s Law, Nicole’s Law, which permanently prohibits him from having any contact with his victims, and Parole Supervision for Life.
The sentences are to run concurrently, officials say.
Officials said this investigation was the result of a referral from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The ICAC Task Force detected that an individual was uploading explicit images of minors to the internet using the Kik Messenger App.
Authorities say an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit identified a Kik Messenger user with a Verizon Wireless account as the individual uploading the explicit images of minors; that individual was ultimately identified as Budelman.
Officials stated that on September 27, 2022, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, United States Department of Homeland Security-Investigations Unit, New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit, and Brick Township Police Department executed a court-authorized search warrant on Budelman’s residence in Brick Township.
As a result, Detectives seized multiple electronic devices, including a desktop computer with a hard drive containing explicit images of minors, according to officials.
Detectives subsequently learned that Budelman was out of the country; as such, he was charged with a warrant, and his name was entered into the National Crime Information Center Database, officials said.
Officials say that on October 4, 2022, Budelman was taken into custody by Officers from the United States Department of Homeland Security-Investigations Unit at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Budelman was extradited to Ocean County, lodged in the Ocean County Jail, and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform, officials stated.
Authorities say a full forensic examination of the electronic devices seized by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit - as a result of the execution of the September 27, 2022 search warrant - revealed that Budelman had enticed two minors - one in Colorado and one in Ohio - to engage in explicit conduct while he engaged in explicit acts.
Budelman recorded and saved those video chats on his computer, according to officials.
As a consequence, officials say, on December 20, 2022, Budelman was additionally charged with Aggravated Explicit Assault, two counts of Explicit Assault, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, two counts of Manufacturing Explicit Images of Minors, Distributing Explicit Images of Minors, Criminal Explicit Contact, and Possession of Explicit Images of Minors.
Officials said on December 20, 2022, Budelman surrendered to Brick Township Police Headquarters; he was then transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been lodged since that date.