Ocean County gymnastics coach charged with sexting 13-year-old student

TOMS RIVER — A Jackson gymnastics coach is charged with sending one of his 13-year-old students pornographic pictures.

Bradley Dahncke,19, who worked at a private facility in Ocean County, was charged with seven counts of distribution of pornographic material, according to Toms River Police spokesman Ralph Stocco. The material was discovered on the girl's Instagram account by her mother, according to Stocco.

There was no evidence of any inappropriate physical contact between Dahncke and the girl, according to Stocco.

He was temporarily at the Ocean County Jail on a no bail warrant and released pending a future court date.

Stocco said that any parent with concerns about their child having social media contact with Dahncke should call 732-349-0150.

It's the third case of sexting involving New Jersey residents in the past week. An EMT worker from Woodbridge was arrested Friday for trading nude pictures with a 12-year-old boy. Last week, Princeton's animal control officer, Saul Nate Barson, was charged with having sex in a park in Bucks County, Pa with a 13-year-old boy he met on Snapchat.

New Jersey 101.5 recently explored how parents can keep their children safe on the internet — and some of the surprising dangers inherent to even the most benign-seeming games and apps.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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