TOMS RIVER, NJ — A 34-year-old Toms River man has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material following a multi-agency investigation, authorities announced Thursday.
Jeremey Howell was taken into custody on July 24 after a court-authorized search warrant was executed at his residence. Investigators recovered multiple items of child sexual abuse material from his cellular phone, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case originated from a cyber-tip provided to the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s High Tech Crime Squad traced the activity to an IP address linked to Howell’s home.
Howell was arrested at Toms River Township Police Headquarters and was reportedly being held at the Ocean County Jail, however he is not listed at this time on the inmate roster.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer credited the cooperation of federal, state, and local agencies in the investigation that led to Howell’s arrest.