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Man Is Charged In Rosie O'Donnell's Daughter's Disappearance

NYACK, N.Y. -- A New Jersey man has been charged in relation to the disappearance of Nyack resident Rosie O'Donnell's daughter Chelsea, according to the Ocean County, N.J., Prosecutor's Office.

Steven M. Sheerer

Steven M. Sheerer

Photo Credit: Ocean County, N.J., Prosecutor's Office

Steven M. Sheerer, 25, of Barnegat, N.J., was charged Friday with third-degree distribution of obscenity to a minor and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph. D. Coronato. Each charge carries a penalty of five years in state prison.

Sheerer’s arrest stems from an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, along with the Barnegat and Long Beach police departments.

Detectives from the High Tech Crime Unit and Barnegat police retrieved 17-year-old Chelsea O'Donnell's cellphone with consent from the victim’s mother, an actress and comedian.

Examination of the phone by the HTCU revealed evidence of inappropriate communications over the last several weeks between Sheerer and Chelsea O'Donnell, police said.

Consultation with Assistant Prosecutor Hillary Bryce resulted in the charges being signed by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit.

Sheerer was arrested at his Village Drive residence in Barnegat by the partnering agencies at 8:30 p.m. Friday. A search warrant was also executed on his residence, at which time a computer and other digital equipment were seized as part of the continuing investigation.

Sheerer is being held in Ocean County Jail in default of $40,000 cash bail set by Judge Phillip Miller. The court has also mandated Nicole’s Law, stipulating no contact with the victim or her family.

To read previous reporting on this story, click here.

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