74-year-old Freehold man sentenced to 8 years for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material

January 18, 2023

FREE RIGHT – Monmouth County Attorney Raymond S. Santiago announced Wednesday that a Freehold resident was sentenced to eight years in state prison for possession and distribution of 2017 child sexual abuse material.

On Friday, January 13, 2023, in front of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley, 74-year-old James Simmons of Freehold Township was sentenced to four years in a New Jersey State Penitentiary under Article Three Threat to the Welfare of a Citizen. degree. Child, charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. Simmons also received eight years on a second-degree charge of endangering a child’s welfare and disseminating child sexual abuse material. These two proposals will run concurrently. Once released, Simmons will face mandatory registration under Megan’s law and lifelong parole supervision.

Simmons was convicted on the charges on July 20, 2022.

A July 2017 investigation by the Monmouth County Attorney’s Office, along with the New Jersey Task Force on Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and the Freehold Police Department, found that Simmons was found in possession of a USB drive containing more than 100 videos depicting child sexual abuse; and peer-to-peer file sharing programs from equipment located at his home on Harding Road in Freehold.

The case was handled by Assistant Monmouth County Attorney Stephanie Dugan. Simmons is represented by George B. Somers, Jr., Esq. of Princeton.