Man Sexually Assaulted Manchester Girl After Snapchat Talks, Prosecutor Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Monmouth County man sexually assaulted a Manchester girl after contacting her on Snapchat, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

Jake N. Hessels, 24, of Neptune City, was arrested June 2 and is being held in the Ocean County Jail, where he was ordered detained until trial, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Authorities say Hessels, who also has ties to Morris County, started using multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, Tik Tok and Instagram, in the fall of 2025 to contact children and communicate with them.

On April 6 he started communicating with a girl in Manchester via Snapchat, and the two exchanged sexually explicit photos and messages, the prosecutor's office said.

After those conversations, Hessels went to Manchester and met up with the girl and "engaged in inappropriate sexual activity," the prosecutor's office said.

The prosecutor's office did not say how old the girl is, but according to the charges filed against Hessels she is younger than 13 years old.

He has been charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, possession of child sexual abuse material, endangering the welfare of a child, and promoting obscene material, authorities said.

Billhimer did not say what prompted the investigation, but authorities believe there are more victims who have not come forward "based upon evidence recovered from Hessels’ electronic devices."

"Anyone with information concerning this defendant’s illicit conduct is urged to contact the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 732-506-5323," he said.

Hessels was ordered held pending trial during a June 10 detention hearing before Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels.