TOMS RIVER — An Island Heights man has been charged with multiple child exploitation offenses following a multi-agency investigation that began with tips from authorities in other states, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Thomas Koch, 60, was charged February 23 with possession of child sexual abuse material, two counts of distributing obscene material to a minor, two counts of luring and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.
The investigation began in September 2025 when detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad were notified by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations that a 12-year-old had been engaged in sexually explicit video chats and text messages with an adult later identified as Koch. Around the same time, the City of Sparks, Nevada, Police Department reported that a 13-year-old in its jurisdiction had also been communicating in a sexually inappropriate manner with an adult, who was likewise identified as Koch.
On February 12, 2026, members of the High Tech Crime Squad, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Island Heights Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations executed a court-approved search warrant at Koch’s home.
He was initially charged with possession with intent to distribute less than one-half ounce of cocaine and methamphetamine, simple possession of both drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. Koch was lodged in the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
A forensic review of the seized electronic devices allegedly uncovered evidence confirming the inappropriate communications with the two juveniles. As a result, additional child exploitation charges were filed against Koch on February 23 while he was in custody.
Billhimer credited the cooperative efforts of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Narcotics Strike Force, Regional SWAT Team, Island Heights Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Sparks Police Department in Nevada for their roles in the investigation.
