A 24-year-old Erma man has been arrested and charged with possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Lower Township Police Chief Kevin Lewis said in a release that an investigation revealed that Avery Dowe downloaded and shared various images and videos of such materials.

The investigation stemmed from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cybertip.

On Dec. 17, a search warrant was executed on Dowe’s residence in Erma and a computer and multiple cellular devices were seized. Examination of the devices by forensic experts found they contained images and videos of child sexual abuse materials, the release said.

Dowe was subsequently arrested and is currently lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings. He is charged with a third-degree crime and if convicted is subject to imprisonment for three to five years.

Sutherland urged citizens of Cape May County to report any information regarding child exploitation or any criminal activity within the community to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135 or anonymously on the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office website at cmcpo.tips.