MONMOUTH COUNTY – A Monmouth County man has admitted to posing as a teenage boy on Facebook to lure minors into sending sexually explicit pictures and videos, authorities said.
On April 14, Herman Christopher Jensen, 68, of Union Beach, pleaded guilty and admitted to knowingly receiving child pornography.
Police said that Jensen was posing on Facebook as a 17-year-old boy named “Kevin Bennett” to entice and solicit an underage girl to send nude and sexually explicit images over the internet.
Between January 2018 through August 2018, Jensen used this fake Facebook account to communicate with the victim frequently, causing her to believe that she was involved in a romantic relationship with “Kevin Bennett.”
During that time, Jensen had requested nude and semi-nude photographs from the victim through Facebook’s messenger service and the victim sent him images. Jensen received increasingly explicit videos depicting the victim engaging in sexually explicit activity.
In August of 2018, Jensen revealed to the victim that he was not the 17-year-old boy, but instead an adult named Chris Jensen. Afterwards, the victim continued to communicate with Jensen via the “Chris Jensen” Facebook account.
According to police, the victim then traveled to New Jersey to live with Jensen in December 2018. On December 19, 2018, local authorities removed the victim from Jensen’s residence.
The charge of knowingly receiving child pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for September 14.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers of the FBI and the Red Bank Resident Agencies Jersey Shore Gang and Criminal Organization Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked the Union Beach, New Jersey, Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Michael J. Woodrow, for assistance in the investigation.
