TOMS RIVER – An Ocean County teacher has pled guilty to three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child after taking nude photos of himself inside a classroom before posting them on social media.
Kyle Banner, 48, of Brick, is facing a term of 364 days in the Ocean County Jail on each count, which will run concurrently. Additionally, the State will be seeking the forfeiture of Banner’s teaching license, as well as any and all future public employment. Finally, Banner will be required to register as a Megan’s Law offender, and be subject to Parole Supervision for Life.
On April 23, administrators at Toms River Intermediate North were alerted that Banner, a teacher at both Toms River Intermediate North and Ocean County College, posted pornographic photographs of himself to his public Twitter profile.
Detectives later determined that students had viewed the sexually explicit images by accessing Banner’s public Twitter profile.
In a further probe, investigators learned that the photographs were taken in his classroom at Toms River Intermediate North.
In addition, detectives discovered that Banner sent inappropriate photographs of himself to a student through Snapchat in October of 2022. They also recovered numerous images of Banner engaging in sexual conduct with himself in his classroom at Toms River Intermediate North.
On May 23, Banner surrendered himself to the Toms River Township Police Department. He was processed and transported to the Ocean County Jail, and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr who is handling the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation, leading to Banner’s guilty pleas.
