Ocean County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Minor, Online Enticement of Minor and Receipt of Child Pornography

TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was charged today with online enticement to produce, as well as receipt of, images of child sexual abuse, U.S Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. 

Samuel Schwinger, 34, of Lakewood, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of sexual exploitation of a minor, online enticement of a minor to produce child pornography and receipt of child pornography. Schwinger is already in custody on state charges; his initial appearance will be scheduled for a later date.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Schwinger met an underage girl through an online social media application while he purported to be an underage girl. Schwinger asked the girl to send him sexually explicit videos through the application and directed her to produce certain images in the videos. During his communications with the victim, Schwinger also sent her sexually explicit videos claiming to be the girl depicted in those videos. 

The charge of online enticement carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charge of sexual exploitation of a child carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. 

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; and the Lakewood, New Jersey, Police Department under the direction of Chief Gregory Meyer with the investigation leading to the charges. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.  

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.