Kevin Meier (Photo: Ocean County Jail)
A Seaside Heights man who was serving as a special police officer in the borough has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Kevin Meier, 21, was the target of a search warrant by local police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office following a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which was forwarded on June 12 by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The referral advised that an individual in Ocean County had uploaded suspected child pornography to the internet, according to Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.
The Ocean County High Tech Crime Unit identified the source of the child porn as Meier’s residence at 304 Sheridan Avenue. The executed search warrant and subsequent investigation resulted in the confiscation of “numerous files related to child pornography” at Meier’s residence, a statement said. Meier was taken into custody at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Seaside Heights Police Headquarters, where he was employed as an armed, Class II Special Police Officer.
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Meier faces charges of third degree possession of child pornography and second degree distribution of child pornography. Bail was set at $50,000 cash. Meier was transported to the Ocean County Jail where he was lodged in default of bail.
Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd immediately terminated Meier’s employment and confiscated all assigned uniforms and equipment, the prosecutor’s office said.
