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Christopher Budelman, 37, pleaded guilty on Friday, Oct. 4 to two counts of sexual assault, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Prosecutors said they're seeking seven years in state prison for Budelman, along with registering as a sex offender, a ban from contacting the victims, and lifetime parole supervision.
The state police's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force found a person was using the Kik Messenger app to upload pictures of child pornography. Budelmn was identified as the suspect through his Verizon Wireless account.
Police executed a search warrant at Budelman's home on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, seizing several electronic devices, including a desktop computer with a hard drive containing child porn pictures. Budelman was out of the country so he was charged on a warrant and his name was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Homeland Security Investigations officers arrested Budelman at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. He was extradited to Ocean County and released on bail.
Investigators said Budelman enticed one child in Colorado and another in Ohio "to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he engaged in acts of sexual self-gratification" in June 2022. Budelman saved recordings of the video chats on his computer.
Budelman was additionally charged on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, with aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of manufacturing child pornography, distributing child pornography, criminal sexual contact, and possession of child pornography.
Budelman surrendered at Brick Township police headquarters on that day. He returned to the Ocean County Jail and has been held there since surrendering.
A sentencing date hasn't been announced as of press time.
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