Ocean County Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Child Abuse Material

Manchester Township, N.J. — An Ocean County man has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in federal prison for his role in moderating a dark-web site dedicated to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Earlier this week, 57-year-old Drew Holzlein of Manchester was sentenced to 350 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.

Years as an Active Moderator

According to court documents, Holzlein was a member and moderator of a dark-web site dedicated to the proliferation of CSAM from approximately 2019 until his arrest in January 2024. During that time, he actively shared thousands of explicit images of prepubescent minors with the site's users.

When investigators searched his home in January 2024, they recovered multiple electronic devices containing images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Holzlein admitted during questioning that he had served as a moderator on the site for years.

He was previously convicted in New Jersey on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Case Credited to Multiple Agencies

The case was investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Operational Unit, the FBI Newark Field Office, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, and the Manchester Township Police Department.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse online.

Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com