COURT HOUSE – Cape May County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor and New Jersey State Police Woodbine Station Lt. Douglas Pearson announce the arrest of James Belcher, 60, of Ocean View, for child pornography charges.
This investigation was initiated by detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office who received several cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). These tips reported an unknown subject who sent videos/images of suspected child pornography via Facebook.
On July 1, this investigation resulted in the execution of a court authorized search warrant in the 1600 block South Shore Road, Ocean View, by members of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the New Jersey State Police. As a result of the search warrant, multiple files of suspected child pornography were located. Several computers and cell phones in Belcher’s residence were also seized as evidence. Belcher was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, a crime of the third degree, and distribution of child pornography, a crime of the second degree, and lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Center in lieu of $75,000 full cash bail set by Judge James Birchmeier, JMC.
Prosecutor Taylor would like to thank the Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-Division), the New Jersey State Police, Digital Technology Unit, and the New Jersey State Police TEAMS unit for their assistance with this investigation.
Prosecutor Taylor advises that individuals convicted of a second degree crime are subject to a term of imprisonment of five to 10 years, and individuals convicted with a third degree crime are subject to a term of imprisonment of three to five years in New Jersey State Prison.
This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the (ICAC) Task Force, to identify individuals involved in possessing and distributing child pornography. Prosecutor Taylor continues to urge the citizens of Cape May County to report any information regarding child exploitation or any criminal activity within the community and that information can be reported anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-465-2800 or 877-465-2801, or to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. This report is based on information received from the Prosecutor’s Office.
