Sex Offender Had 'Numerous' Child Porn Videos From App: OCPO

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A sex offender from Lakewood who is accused of convincing a young girl to send him a nude photo has been charged with sexually assaulting a child after authorities found "numerous videos" and sexually explicit chats with other children, the Ocean County prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

Samuel Schwinger, 34, of Lakewood, was arrested April 5 after parents of an Oklahoma girl contacted law enforcement there about someone asking the girl to send sexually explicit photos of herself, Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. The investigation led to Schwinger, whose phone was seized at the time of his arrest.

A forensic examination of Schwinger's phone after his arrest "revealed videos, text messages and chats where Schwinger was posing as an 11-year-old girl, coercing minor victims into performing sex acts," Billhimer said. Further examination revealed "numerous other videos and chats. We are presently trying to identify more victims. We are attempting to match accounts and usernames," he said. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is assisting.

Billhimer also issued a warning to parents.

"This defendant was communicating with underage children through the live-stream video app LIVE.ME," he said. The smartphone application uses geolocation to share videos.

"Users can target the exact location of the person sharing the video. This is extremely dangerous and parents should be aware if their children have this app on their phone. Parents should be vigilant in monitoring their children’s online activity. It is important to know what your children are viewing, sharing and who they are communicating with," Billhimer said.

Schwinger initially was charged with production of images/videos of children under the age of 16 engaged in prohibited sexual acts, distribution of images/videos of children under the age of 16 engaged in prohibited sexual acts, and possession of images/videos of children under the age of 16 engaged in prohibited sexual acts.

On Wednesday Schwinger was additionally charged with aggravated sexual assault and child endangerment, Billhimer said.

The forensic examination of Schwinger’s cell phone was conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit.

Schwinger remains in the Ocean County Jail. He is a registered sex offender and was serving 10 years of probation for a sexual assault out of Cook County, New York.

Billhimer thanked the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Department in Oklahoma, where the parents reported the initial videos; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit and Megan’s Law Unit, the Lakewood Police Department, New Jersey State Police, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their assistance.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Lakewood Patch on Facebook.