Toms River Man Gets 3-Year Sentence For Seeking Sex With Teen

TRENTON, NJ — A Toms River man has been sentenced to three years in prison for trying to lure an underage teenager — who in reality was an undercover detective — into sex on social media, the state attorney general's office announced Thursday.

Brian Degnan, 34, of Toms River, a data-entry clerk, was sentenced Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Therese A. Cunningham in Ocean County, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. Degnan pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2019 to a second-degree charge of luring for attempting to arrange sex with an undercover officer he believed was a 15-year-old boy.

Degnan was arrested Sept. 6, 2018 as part of Operation Open House, one of 24 men arrested in the sting.

A detective with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office encountered Degnan on social media, and Degnan, who thought he was talking to a 15-year-old boy, asked the "boy" to meet him for sexual activity. Degnan discussed the sexual acts they would perform when they met.

He was arrested during a motor vehicle stop near the undercover house in Toms River after he drove by the house slowly and sent a text message that there were a lot of police in the area. Degnan had condoms, sexual lubricant, and a sex toy in the car, the attorney general's office said.

He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life, the attorney general's office said.

"These prison sentences reflect our commitment to aggressively prosecute child predators," Grewal said. "We patrol the internet and social media on a daily basis with our federal, state, and local partners to protect children. We urge parents to do their part by talking to their children about social media and the dangers posed by online predators."

Operation Open House resulted in the arrests of 24 men who allegedly were using social media to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity. The operation was led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police, and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The ICAC Task Force also includes the Division of Criminal Justice, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, all 21 county prosecutors’ offices, and many other state, county and local law enforcement agencies.

Attorney General Grewal and Director Allende urge anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – to please contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.

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