Bucks Co Detectives Lead Joint Task Force In Arrest of NJ Man Seeking Sex with 13 Year-old

A 35-year-old New Jersey man traveling to Bucks County under the belief that he was meeting a 13-year-old girl being trafficked for sex,  was arrested Wednesday, Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan announced.

Christopher Martin Reynolds, of Browns Mills, NJ, was taken into custody by Bucks County Detectives in Bensalem Township.

He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Michael W. Gallagher and is currently held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility on $5 million bail.

Reynolds is facing nine felony charges, including: criminal attempt to engage or perform a commercial sex act with a minor, criminal attempt to commit statutory sexual assault, criminal attempt to commit trafficking in individuals, criminal attempt to commit indecent sexual assault with a person younger than 13, criminal attempt to commit corruption of minors, and four counts of unlawful contact with a minor, according to court records.

The arrest, Khan said, was the result of a coordinated, multi-agency proactive enforcement detail targeting human trafficking and child exploitation in the Lower Bucks County area.

The operation, Khan said,  began on Tuesday, June 30, during an online undercover operation conducted by a Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office detective. Using a website known for human trafficking, the detective posed as a mother offering her 13-year-old daughter for sex in exchange for money.

The detective was contacted by a user (Reynolds,) who agreed to pay $300 for the act. When detectives arrested Reynolds at a designated location in Bensalem, he was in possession of the $300 in cash and a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew, which the detective acting as the mother requested he bring, according to court records.

“This operation sends an unmistakable message to those who look to prey on children in our communities,” said Khan. “This is the exact kind of proactive, aggressive enforcement the public can expect from our office’s revamped anti-trafficking operation.  We are going to use every tool and technology at our disposal, and we will continue to hunt down those who attempt to exploit vulnerable individuals.”

Khan praised the seamless collaboration among the numerous federal, county, and local partners who provided critical personnel and resources, including the Bensalem Township Police Department, Bristol Borough Police Department, Falls Township Police Department, Montgomery County Detectives, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA).

“Child predators have no place in our community,” said Bensalem Township Police Director of Public Safety William McVey. “I commend the outstanding work of the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and every agency involved in this operation for their unwavering commitment to protecting our children and holding offenders accountable. The Bensalem Township Police Department is proud to have partnered in this investigation and remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.”

Reynolds is due back in court on July 16 and has no attorney of record, according to online court records.