A Barnegat Township man has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material after investigators traced online activity to his residence. This was not his first rodeo.
A 28-year-old Barnegat Township man has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced. Fabian Lugo-Sanchez entered a guilty plea on Monday before Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch.
Prosecutors said they will seek a sentence of 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, including a 10-year period of parole ineligibility, when Lugo-Sanchez is sentenced on Oct. 2.
Investigation began with cyber tip
The case originated from a referral made by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. According to prosecutors, the task force received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that an individual was sending and receiving child sexual abuse material online.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad identified an IP address linked to a residence in Barnegat Township. Investigators determined the material was allegedly being accessed and shared through the Kik Messenger application.
“An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad identified an IP address associated with a Barnegat Township residence as the location from which the individual was accessing and sharing images of child sexual abuse material,” prosecutors said.
Authorities ultimately identified Lugo-Sanchez as the individual connected to the online activity.
More than 1,000 files allegedly shared
As investigators continued examining the Kik Messenger accounts associated with Lugo-Sanchez, they discovered a large volume of illicit material.
“Continuing investigation into Lugo-Sanchez’s Kik Messenger accounts revealed that he had shared over 1,000 items of child sexual abuse material,” the prosecutor’s office said.
2025 Arrest
Sanchez was arrested in 2025 and set free then too. This article was originally posted by Shore News Network last July:
Fabian Alejandro LugoSanchez was booked into the Ocean County jail on July 17th and is staying put for now—without the option of bail.
The 25-year-old, described as a brown-eyed man with short brown hair and a medium build, was taken into custody early Thursday morning. He’s single, graduated high school, and doesn’t appear to have any known aliases or immigration holds, but he’s definitely got some serious legal trouble on his hands.
According to authorities, LugoSanchez is facing two separate cases—both still open—and neither one comes with the possibility of bail.
In one case, he’s accused of trying to hurt someone on purpose and damaging property. That alone would be enough to raise eyebrows, but the second case is what’s really alarming: LugoSanchez has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child by allegedly being involved in taking or sharing inappropriate photos, even selling them.
As of now, there’s no release date in sight for LugoSanchez, and jail records show he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Lugo-Sanchez surrendered to authorities on Feb. 5 at Barnegat Township Police Headquarters in the presence of his attorney. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and was later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
The investigation involved the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Barnegat Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Key Points
• Fabian Lugo-Sanchez, 28, of Barnegat Township, pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material.
• Investigators said he shared more than 1,000 files through the Kik Messenger application.
• Prosecutors will seek a 10-year state prison sentence with 10 years of parole ineligibility.
Barnegat Township, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Child Sexual Abuse Material, ICAC Task Force, Fabian Lugo-Sanchez
