Manchester Man Tried To Meet Girl, 15, For Sex In PA, Now Charged With Child Porn, Prosecutor Says

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township man being held in jail in Pennsylvania on charges of attempting to have sex with a teenage girl has been charged in Ocean County with distributing and possessing child pornography, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Phillip M. Ommundsen, 38, is accused of sending and receiving images of child pornography from the internet using a Kik Messenger account, the prosecutor's office said, and the investigation found images and videos of child sexual abuse material which had been uploaded and sent by Ommundsen via Kik.

Detectives discovered Ommundsen is being held in jail in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, and that his cell phone was being held in evidence by police in Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania. Ocean County detectives retrieved his phone with a search warrant and the examination showed images of child sexual abuse material and two Kik Messenger accounts belonging to Ommundsen, authorities said.

He was charged on Tuesday and will be served while he remains in the Jefferson County jail by way of warrant by detectives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the prosecutor's office said.

Ommundsen was arrested Sept. 27, 2024, in Reynoldsville after he showed up to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl to have sex with her, the Courier-Express of Dubois, Pennsylvania, reported.

Reynoldsville is about two hours northeast of Pittsburgh, just south of Interstate 80.

Ommundsen talked online to the supposed 15-year-old for nearly two months before driving out to meet her and getting arrested, the Courier-Express report said.

He is charged with criminal attempt, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16 years of age; one count of criminal attempt sexual assault; one count of criminal attempt aggravated indecent assault, complainant less than 16 years of age; one count of criminal use of a communication facility; one count of criminal attempt indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age; one count of criminal attempt corruption of minors, defendant age 18 or above; and one felony count of criminal attempt the manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, the report said.

He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bond, the outlet reported.

The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday that his case there is ongoing.

It is unclear when the Kik conversations that prompted the Ocean County charges took place.