Canadian Child Porn Probe Linked To Brick Teen: Prosecutor

BRICK, NJ — An 18-year-old from Brick Township has been charged with possessing child pornography in an investigation authorities said has ties to Canada.

David Michael Courtney, 18, of Brick, was arrested Wednesday and charged with third-degree possession of child pornography, according to a joint news release from Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Brick Township Police Chief James Riccio.

Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said Courtney had been identifed as sharing child pornography as a result of proactive internet monitoring by the High Tech Crime unit of the prosecutor's office when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police alerted the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations that a group was identified as sharing child pornography that had ties to Ocean County. The investigation into the referral from Canadian authorities revealed the direct connection to the active prosecutor's office investigation into Courtney, who was accused of being the source of images orginating from Ocean County, he said.

Officers from the prosecutor's office, Homeland Security and the Brick Township Police Department executed a search warrant at Courtney's Waters Edge Court home in Brick on Wednesday and found evidence supporting the child pornograhy charge, Della Fave said.

The charge was approved by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kristin Pressman. Courtney is being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a first appearance.

David Michael Courtney photo via Ocean County Corrections Department