Local Soccer Coach Ryan Gunsauls, of Union Beach, was arrested in Hazlet. He is charged with eight counts each of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree distributing obscene materials to a minor.

UNION BEACH, NJ: Ryan Gunsauls, 32, of Union Beach is charged with eight counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, eight counts of third-degree Distributing Obscene Materials to a Minor, two counts of second-degree Attempted Endangering, two counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact, and single counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child via Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) and third-degree Possession of CSAM.

Gunsaulis, is a youth soccer coach

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According to Monmouth County Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Christopher J. Decker, an investigation involving members of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and the Union Beach Police Department began last week, when a juvenile disclosed that Gunsauls had been soliciting and distributing sexually explicit materials to him via a social media app. As the investigation continued, the additional victims, ranging in age from 11 to 17, were identified and contacted for interviews.

Gunsauls was arrested without incident in Hazlet on Friday, May 11 and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending a detention hearing tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 20 in Monmouth County Superior Court.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Keri-Leigh Schaefer of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau. Anyone with more information about Gunsauls’s activities is being urged to contact MCPO Detective Joseph Mason at 800-533-7443.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

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Gunsauls is listed as a volunteer firefighter for Union Beach Fire Company No. 1 and a dispatcher for the borough's police department. He graduated from the Monmouth County Fire Academy in May 2010.

Anyone with information about Gunsauls should call the county prosecutor's office at 800-533-7443.

If you are a victim of sexual assault/abuse, you are never alone, and it is never too late to come forward for justice. You can start by contacting your local police department or call an organization like 180 Turning Lives Around or CARC. There is confidential help waiting for you.

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