Toms river man pleads guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material — File Photo: Handcuffs © Big Stock Images.

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Toms River man has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material and faces a potential decade in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.

Edward Lynch, 52, entered the guilty plea before Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch. Prosecutors will seek a 10-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison with no possibility of parole during that term. Lynch will also be subject to Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.

The charges stem from a referral by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which received cyber-tips indicating that child sexual abuse material was being downloaded from the internet by an individual in Toms River.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit traced the illegal downloads to an IP address registered to Lynch’s residence. On August 24, 2023, detectives from the Prosecutor’s Office and Toms River Police executed a search warrant at the home.

During the search, investigators seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic analysis revealed over 1,000 items of child sexual abuse material stored on the devices.

“Further investigation revealed that Lynch was the individual responsible for downloading the child sexual abuse material in question,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Sentencing pending

Lynch was charged the same day the search was conducted and taken into custody without incident. He was later released under the terms of New Jersey’s bail reform laws.

Sentencing will take place at a later date. Lynch remains subject to all pretrial supervision requirements as the case moves forward.

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