Phillip Ommundsen, 38, faces four charges after investigators say a cyber-tip led them to images and videos allegedly distributed through Kik Messenger
MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ – A cyber-tip about child sexual abuse material circulating online led investigators to a Manchester Township man already jailed in Pennsylvania, where a search of his cellphone allegedly uncovered additional images and a Kik Messenger account tied to him, prosecutors said.
Phillip Ommundsen, 38, was indicted Wednesday by an Ocean County grand jury on three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation began with a referral from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The task force received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning an individual allegedly sending and receiving child sexual abuse images over the internet.
Investigators with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad traced an IP address associated with the online activity to a Manchester Township residence, according to prosecutors.
The material was allegedly being sent and received using Kik Messenger.
Further investigation of the Kik accounts uncovered images and videos of child sexual abuse material that prosecutors allege Ommundsen uploaded and sent through the messaging service.
During the investigation, detectives learned Ommundsen had been arrested in Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania, on an unrelated charge and was incarcerated there.
Investigators also learned that Ommundsen’s cellphone was being held as evidence by the Reynoldsville Police Department.
Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad obtained and executed a court-authorized search warrant to retrieve and examine the device.
A forensic examination allegedly revealed child sexual abuse images on the phone along with a Kik Messenger account belonging to Ommundsen, prosecutors said.
Ommundsen was charged in the New Jersey case on Oct. 21, 2025. Detectives from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations served him with the charges at the Jefferson County Jail in Pennsylvania.
He remains incarcerated at the Pennsylvania jail, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation involved the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Reynoldsville Police Department and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The charges are accusations. Ommundsen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Key Points
- Phillip Ommundsen, 38, of Manchester Township was indicted Wednesday on three distribution counts and one possession count involving child sexual abuse material.
- Prosecutors say investigators traced online activity to a Manchester Township residence and found images and videos allegedly uploaded and sent through Kik Messenger.
- Ommundsen was already incarcerated in Pennsylvania on an unrelated charge when investigators obtained his cellphone and allegedly found child sexual abuse images and a Kik account tied to him.