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Dawson Simons, of the 300 block of Seminole Trail in Browns Mills was charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Pemberton Township Police Chief Jason Watters.
Simons reportedly was taken into custody Friday morning after a warranted search of his home, Coffinas and Watters said.
Electronic devices that were seized will be examined by detectives from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, they said.
An investigation began in September after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Simons’s online activities from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation found that Simons was using social media and an online file storage system to collect and distribute child sexual abuse material, the prosecutor said.
The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office, the Pemberton Township Police Department and the Evesham Township Police Department. The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Andrew Ridolfi.
The BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit and HSI – Cherry Hill are members of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The BCPO also belongs to the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.
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