Federal Court Imposes 72-Month Prison Term, Decade Of Supervision In International Child Exploitation Case
Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 4:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
TRENTON, NJ.- An Ocean County man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison after traveling overseas to engage in sexual conduct with a 14-year-old girl, federal prosecutors announced.
Senior Counsel Philip W. Lamparello said Jacob Bauer, 29, of Toms River, was sentenced on Monday, February 9, 2026, to 72 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Federal Court in Trenton, New Jersey. Bauer previously pleaded guilty to a federal charge of Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in a Foreign Place.
Bauer entered his guilty plea on September 9, 2025, before Judge Kirsch, admitting to a one-count Information stemming from his conduct while traveling abroad. The sentence was formally imposed on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
According to charging documents and statements made during proceedings, Bauer traveled from the United States to Norway between December 1, 2023, and December 10, 2023, with the explicit intent of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old female. Prosecutors said the abuse occurred inside a hotel during Bauer’s stay in the country.
Following his return to the United States, Bauer continued to communicate with the victim and boasted to others about the sexual activity, while fully acknowledging that the girl was under the age of eighteen. Authorities said Bauer repeatedly recognized the victim’s status as a minor during these communications, underscoring his awareness of the criminal nature of his actions.
Federal prosecutors further disclosed that Bauer was active in an online community, where he discussed his conduct. After other members of that online group learned of his actions involving the minor, Bauer was “doxxed,” with individuals publishing his personal identifying information online. Law enforcement later became involved, leading to the federal investigation and prosecution.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kirsch ordered Bauer to serve 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration. The court also ordered the forfeiture of property used in the commission of the offense.
Bauer will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, subjecting him to long-term reporting and monitoring requirements upon his release.
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The program is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and is designed to marshal federal, state, and local resources to identify victims, disrupt online exploitation networks, and aggressively prosecute offenders.
Federal officials emphasized that the prosecution reflects the government’s continued commitment to holding offenders accountable for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of minors, regardless of whether those crimes occur domestically or abroad.
Editor’s Note:
This article was written by Art Fletcher, Executive EditorDetails is based on federal court records, charging documents, and statements released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in connection with the sentencing of Jacob Bauer. Englebrook Independent News reports on cases involving sexual crimes with care and restraint, prioritizing accuracy while protecting the identity of minor victims.
