Man, 55, is brought back to New Jersey and is in jail here
A Mississippi man has been arrested and charged for allegedly sending graphic videos and photographs of his genital area to a 14-year-old Hillsborough teen’s cellular telephone.
Hillsborough police were contacted by the girl’s parents, and detectives reportedly identified Thomas Pumphrey, 55, of Hernando, Mississippi, as the individual communicating with the youngster. Police said he pretended to be a 19-year-old male from Alabama while communicating online with the teen via instant messaging.
Detectives assigned to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office’s Computer Crimes Unit traveled to Mississippi and on Aug. 14, with the assistance of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department, arrested Mr. Pumphrey. He waived extradition and was brought to New Jersey the next day and lodged in the Somerset County Jail.
Superior Court Judge Paul W. Armstrong set bail at $75,000 cash or bond. If Mr. Pumphrey meets bail, he was ordered not to have any contact with the victim, police said.
Mr. Pumphrey was charged with second-degree attempted sexual assault, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree crime of criminal sexual contact.