NJ Man Charged with Traveling Abroad to Engage in Sexual Conduct with Minor

Jacob Bauer, 28, faces federal charges for alleged sexual activity with a 14-year-old in Norway and subsequent online admissions

NEW JERSEY — A Toms River man has been arrested and charged with federal offenses related to alleged sexual activity with a minor during a trip to Norway, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced on April 2, 2025.

Jacob Bauer, 28, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court.

According to court filings and statements made during proceedings, Bauer allegedly traveled from the United States to Norway between December 1 and December 10, 2023, where he engaged in sexual conduct with a 14-year-old girl while staying in a hotel.

Following his return to the United States, Bauer reportedly used social media to discuss the encounter with the victim and others, acknowledging her age and the nature of their relationship. Members of an online community in which Bauer was active subsequently “doxxed” him—publishing his personal information online—after learning about the alleged conduct.

Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

“Public safety is my number one priority for New Jersey’s residents, and my office is laser-focused on protecting children and ending their exploitation at the hands of abusers. The conduct here is as reprehensible as it is egregious: a then-27-year-old male took pains to plan international travel from New Jersey to Norway for the purpose of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. These charges underscore how we are standing up for the most vulnerable and will not tolerate the sexual abuse of children. I commend our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement members at the state and local levels, and our international partners who assisted with this investigation.” - U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark Division, with assistance from a range of local, federal, and international law enforcement agencies. These included the New Brunswick and Manchester Township police departments, FBI Legal Attaché Offices at U.S. Embassies in Denmark and Poland, INTERPOL, the Jackson County, Georgia Sheriff's Office, and multiple divisions of the Norwegian and Polish police forces.

"We have federal laws protecting children because they cannot defend themselves,” said Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. "Most of these investigations go unnoticed because we do all we can to protect the innocent victims. However, the work FBI Newark agents and task force officers are doing should be heralded by all of us. Day in and day out - they are saving children who shouldn't have to experience unspeakable horrors and abuse perpetrated by child sexual predators."

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the Criminal Division in Trenton is prosecuting the case.

As with all criminal cases, the charges and allegations are accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.