NORTH ARLINGTON, N.J. — A 34-year-old Milwaukee man has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses after investigators uncovered a months-long case of online sexual extortion targeting a child under 13 in New Jersey, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Friday.
Christopher Battin was arrested on July 22 in Milwaukee by deputy U.S. Marshals and is currently being held at the Milwaukee County Jail pending extradition to Bergen County. He faces charges including aggravated sexual extortion of a child, child endangerment, lewdness, and stalking.
The case began on March 7, when the North Arlington Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit about suspicious online contact involving a child. Investigators suspected an adult was engaging in sexually exploitative behavior.
Detectives determined that Battin had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the child, sent explicit photos of himself, requested explicit photos from the child, and repeatedly made threats to expose the child’s activity. He used multiple phone numbers to maintain contact, authorities said.
On June 26, a warrant was issued charging Battin with second-degree aggravated sexual extortion, third-degree child endangerment, fourth-degree lewdness, and fourth-degree stalking.
The arrest was made with the cooperation of several agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, Milwaukee Police Department, and the North Arlington Police Department.