A woman is accused of recording and sharing alleged sexual abuse of a child in New Jersey on Snapchat
The investigation began after authorities received a complaint from the state child protection agency.
A New Jersey woman faces multiple charges related to child sexual abuse after authorities accuse her of sexually assaulting a child under 13, recording the alleged attack and sharing at least one of the videos via the Snapchat app.
The defendant was identified as Victoria Anne Cranmer, 25, who was arrested Tuesday and subsequently booked into the Ocean County Jail, where she remains held without bail.
According to court documents, Cranmer faces charges of second-degree sexual assault, second-degree production of child sexual abuse material, third-degree possession of third-degree child sexual abuse material, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
The investigation began after a complaint from the child protection agency
According to the investigation, the alleged abuse occurred on May 6 inside the bathroom of a home located in Little Egg Harbor, while the minor was in the care of the accused.
Authorities said the investigation began on May 20, when the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency referred the case to the Little Egg Harbor Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit.
Investigators later obtained warrants to search a cell phone allegedly used by Cranmer and his Snapchat account, where they claimed to have found other videos stored in the platform's "Memories" feature.
A former roommate turned the phone over to the authorities
According to the probable cause statement, the phone had been purchased by a former roommate as a birthday gift for Cranmer.
When he later asked her to leave the home, he also asked her to leave the device. Upon reviewing its contents, he claimed to have found the recording, saved it and handed the phone over to investigators.
Detectives indicated that they identified the defendant thanks to several tattoos visible in the video, including one on one of her legs.
Additionally, court documents cited by local media indicate that the woman was allegedly laughing while the abuse occurred.
Authorities also maintain that at least one of the recordings was shared through Snapchat.
So far, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office has not reported whether the defendant has legal representation. The investigation continues.