Edward Lynch, 52, was charged on Sunday, Apr. 21 with distribution of child pornography and an additional count of possession of child pornography, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Lynch was previously charged with possession of child pornography about eight months earlier.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received tips about someone downloading pictures of child pornography on the internet. Investigators with the county prosecutor's office identified an IP address associated with a home in Toms River.
Police executed a search warrant on Lynch's home on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, and seized several electronic devices. An initial examination found more than 1,000 items of child pornography on the devices.
Lynch was arrested and received his first possession of child pornography charge. He was released on bail.
A full forensic exam on the seized devices found Lynch used the apps Telegram, Session, and Wickr Me to distribute more than 1,000 child pornography items. He surrendered at Toms Rivers police headquarters and was given his two additional charges.
Lynch was held at the Ocean County Jail where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.
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