Man Lured 2 Teens In Sea Bright, Exchanged Explicit Texts: MCPO

SEA BRIGHT, NJ - An Eatontown man has been arrested and charged in connection to luring two 13-year-old girls into his vehicle in Sea Bright this week, authorities said.

Nathan Cohen, 27, of Eatontown, faces charges of first degree kidnapping, second degree
child luring, third degree endangering the welfare of a child, third degree possession of child
pornography and third degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, accoridng to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The charges stem from an incident which occurred during the early morning hours of Feb. 15 when Sea Bright police officers located a running vehicle parked on a dead end street in the area, the MCPO said. One officer then witnessed Cohen in the back seat of his vehicle with his arms around the two juvenile victims.

Cohen was taken into custody immediately at the scene and was later transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township pending a detention hearing.

Prosecutors say Cohen represented himself to be a 17-year-old boy to the minors and exchanged sexually explicit images and videos with them leading up to the incident before arranging to meet the pair in person.

If convicted, Cohen faces up to life imprisonment on the kidnapping charge, up to ten years imprisonment on the child luring charge, and up to five years imprisonment on the endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated criminal sexual contact and possession of child pornography charges respectively, the prosecutor's office said. He would also be subject to parole supervision for life and required to register under Megan’s Law.

Anyone with any information regarding Cohen's activities is urged to contact Det. Michelle Tucker of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau at 1-(800)-533-7443 or Sea Bright Police Department Detective Sgt. Richard Huegel at (732) 842-0010.

Anonymous tips can be submitted to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers via their confidential telephone www.mcponj.org tipline at 1-(800)-671-4400, downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app (available on iOS and Android – https://www.p3tips.com/1182), calling 800-671-4400 or going to www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

The case was jointly investigated by members of the Sea Bright Police Department and
the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau.