Toms River Man Charged With Sexually Abusing Toddler Online

A Toms River 67-year-old faces a minimum of 15 years in prison if he's found guilty of sexually abusing a 14-month-old boy and streaming the images through the Internet.

Rodford W. Brindley was charged today in a Trenton federal courtroom with one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

Investigators say Brindley came to their attention through law enforcement officials in Ohio conducting a separate cybercrime probe. A series of online chats led to an April 2 incident in which, authorities say, Brindley began sexually assaulting the tyke and streaming images through a webcam.

Ohio investigators contacted New Jersey law enforcement officials, who produced search and arrest warrants.

If convicted, Brindley risks a sentence of 15 ot 30 years and fines as high as $250,000.

The case was initiated through Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort to curb sexual exploitation of children launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. Federal, state and local law enforcement collaborate to more accurately find violators and rescue victims.

Find out more about the program at http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.