Red Bank man charged with taking ’upskirting’ photos of women and girls, cops say
FREEHOLD – A Red Bank man charged in October with taking “upskirting” photos of two women in a supermarket has drawn a slew of similar charges involving victims believed to be juveniles, officials said.
Christopher W. Cox, 33, has been charged with eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, nine counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials, nine counts of invasion of privacy, two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, and a single count of possession of a large-capacity gun magazine. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said in a statement Tuesday.
Just before 4 p.m. on Oct. 20, a man later identified as Cox went into the ShopRite on Shrewsbury Avenue in Shrewsbury Borough and began following women around the store, Santiago said. Cox was using his phone in a way that showed he was secretly taking photos of them from behind, he said.
Cox left the store shortly after 5:45 p.m. in a Dodge Durango.
Just after 9 a.m. on Oct. 27, Cox was pulled over on Newman Springs Road in Red Bank. Cox got out of his SUV as instructed then quickly got back in and fled the scene, Santiago said. The officer had to release his grip on Cox in order to avoid getting dragged by the vehicle, he said.
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Cox was found in Little Silver shortly after and arrested.
The investigation into that incident led to the seizure of a large-capacity gun magazine and several digital video files in Cox’s possession, most depicting girls and women being surreptitiously filmed from below using a cell phone placed in a grocery basket, duffel bag, or something similar, Santiago said.
Cox was initially charged with eluding, resisting arrest and invasion of privacy.
According to Santiago, the additional incidents took place:
Shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2021, at the ShopRite Wines & Spirits on South Avenue East in Westfield;
Shortly before 6:15 p.m. Nov. 10, 2021, at the ShopRite on West Grand Street in Elizabeth;
Shortly before 1:15 p.m. on May 30 at the ShopRite in Shrewsbury Borough;
Shortly before 4 p.m. on July 1 at an unspecified Walmart;
Shortly after 12:30 p.m. on July 4 at the ShopRite at the intersection of routes 36 and 71 in West Long Branch;
Shortly after 2:45 p.m. on July 4 at an unspecified Foodtown supermarket;
Shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Whole Foods supermarket on Route 35 in Middletown; and
Shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the ShopRite of Shrewsbury.
The criminal sexual contact charges stem from alleged incidents taking place on Nov. 11 and Jan. 2. Cox, a plumber, recorded himself rubbing his pelvic area on clients while in their homes and exposing himself and performing a lewd act in one case, Santiago said.
Cox was arrested again during a traffic stop in Shrewsbury Borough on Thursday.
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The prosecutor's office will seek to keep Cox detained at a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Santiago called the alleged incidents yielding Tuesday's charged as "equally concerning and disturbing" as the original charges.
Santiago is urging anyone with information about these crimes to contact Detective Sgt. Shawn Murphy of the prosecutor's office at 800-533-7443 or Shrewsbury Borough Police Department Detective Daniel DeCristofaro at 732-741-2500, ext. 230.
Anyone with information on this or other crimes can anonymously submit a tip to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling their confidential telephone tip line at 1-800-671-4400, by downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app or by going to the website.
Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Red Bank NJ man charged with taking ’upskirting’ photos of women
