BRICK TOWNSHIP MAN SENTENCED FOR ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS

A 37-year-old Brick Township man has been sentenced in Ocean County Superior Court for sexually exploiting two minors online, authorities announced.

Christopher T. Budelman received two concurrent seven-year state prison terms after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault. Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer handed down the sentence, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

One of the sentences is subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, requiring Budelman to serve at least 85% of his term before becoming eligible for parole, due to the age of one of the victims.

Earlier this month, Budelman was also sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for related offenses.

The case stems from a 2022 investigation launched by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which uncovered that Budelman was using the Kik Messenger App to upload and distribute child sexual abuse material. A court-authorized search of his home on September 27, 2022, led to the discovery of a desktop computer containing disturbing evidence.

Investigators say Budelman used Kik to contact two minors—one in Colorado and another in Ohio—whom he enticed into performing sexual acts on themselves while he watched and recorded the incidents for his own gratification. The video recordings were saved on his computer.

Budelman was out of the country at the time of the search but was arrested upon his return at JFK International Airport on October 4, 2022. He later surrendered to Brick Township Police on December 20, 2022.

He has remained in custody at the Ocean County Jail since that date. Charges against him included aggravated sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, manufacturing and distributing child sexual abuse material, and other related offenses.