Man Who Sexually Assaulted Girl Has Morris County Ties: PO

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A Monmouth County man with ties to Morris County has been arrested for sexually assaulting a minor, prosecutors say.

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 has ties to Morris County, started using multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, in the fall of 2025 to contact children and communicate with them.

Authorities did not specify exactly how Hessels is connected to Morris County.

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

After those conversations, Hessels went to Ocean County and met up with the girl and "engaged in inappropriate sexual activity," according to officials.

According to the charges filed against Hessels, the victim 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.

— With reporting from Karen Wall