Toms River Man Shared Child Porn Images On Kik Chats: US Attorney

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River man is accused of distributing child pornography after images of sexual acts with prepubescent children were found on a social media account linked to him, federal authorities said Monday.

David Nelson, 43, has been charged with one count of distributing child pornography in connection with the images found on a Kik account, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Nelson was arrested Monday, Carpenito said.

Nelson appeared Monday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Arpert in Trenton federal court and was detained, authorities said.

The images were found on the cell phone of a man who was arrested after he offered to broadcast the sexual abuse of his 4-year-old daughter over Kik messenger to an undercover officer in the Louisville, Kentucky field office of the FBI, Carpenito's office said. A search of that man's cell phon revealed chat group communications between that man and a Kik user named "candicesloan1995," authorities said.

More than two dozen images of child sexual abuse had been shared by the user name "candicesloan1995" on a Kik group chat between Oct. 24, 2017 and Oct. 26, 2017, Carpenito's office said. The user name was eventually linked to Nelson, who authorities say used his personal cell phone to access Kik and disseminate images of child pornography to others over Kik chat groups.

The distribution charge carries a minimum of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Carpenito credited FBI special agents of the Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen in Newark, FBI special agents under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy S. Hess in Louisville, and FBI special agents under the direction of Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios in Detroit, with the investigation. He also thanked the Toms River Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Mitchell A. Little, for its assistance.

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