TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A 32-year-old Toms River man has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Cory Baxter entered the plea Oct. 27 before Guy P. Ryan, presiding judge of the Superior Court’s Criminal Part, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Wednesday.
Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend a four-year New Jersey state prison sentence, parole supervision for life and registration under Megan’s Law when Baxter is sentenced Jan. 22, prosecutors said.
The investigation began with a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that was referred through the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Detectives with the office’s High Tech Crime Squad traced the activity, which involved the messaging app Kik, to an internet address at a home in Toms River Township, the office said.
Investigators executed a search warrant at the residence July 21. A forensic examination tied the email address associated with the Kik account to Baxter’s cellphone and confirmed he had distributed several images, prosecutors said.
Baxter was arrested without incident and taken to the Ocean County Jail. He was later released under New Jersey’s bail reform law.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry is handling the case for the state.
Billhimer credited the High Tech Crime Squad, Toms River Township police, the State Police ICAC Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their work on the case.
This report is based on information from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Source: Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office press release
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