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 arrested this morning on charges that he induced a minor to send him sexually explicit pictures and to engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

David Frew, 41, of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct, and one count of receipt of child pornography. Frew appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and prior state court records:

In June 2017 Frew used an online messaging service to communicate with a minor victim. At Frew’s request, the minor victim sent Frew sexually explicit images, including images of the victim’s genitalia.

In 2008, Frew was convicted of three counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count of criminal use of a computer in Pennsylvania after sending sexually explicit photos or videos to investigators in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, who were posing online as underage girls. Also in 2008, Frew was convicted in New Jersey of endangering the welfare of children. As a result of his prior convictions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Frew was a registered sex offender at the time of his conduct charged in the complaint.

Because Frew is a previously convicted sex offender, the sexual exploitation charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a statutory maximum potential penalty of 50 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine, counting one of Frew’s prior convictions; or a mandatory minimum penalty of 35 years in prison and a statutory maximum potential penalty of life in prison, along with a $250,000 fine, counting two or more of Frew’s prior convictions. The charge of online enticement carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Because Frew is a previously convicted sex offender, the charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a statutory maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Atlantic City, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Technical Crime Unit; the RCMP National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and the Little Egg Harbor Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Buzby Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

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

Defense counsel: Benjamin West Esq., Trenton, New Jersey