Federal authorities say a man from Camden County, who formerly lived in Galloway Township, has admitted paying ₿20,000 to have a 14-year-old murdered following a child porn bust.

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U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger's office says 31-year-old John Michael Musbach of Haddonfield pleaded guilty in Camden federal court to one count of, "knowingly and intentionally using and causing another to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce, that is the internet, with the intent that a murder be committed."

According to court documents,

• In the summer of 2015, Musbach exchanged via the internet sexually explicit photographs and videos with the victim, a 13-year-old living in New York.

• The victim’s parents found out about the inappropriate contact and contacted local police.

• Upon identifying Musbach, who then lived in Galloway, New York law enforcement officers reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

• In March 2016, officers arrested Musbach on child pornography charges and executed a search warrant at his home.

Musbach decided to have the victim killed so that the victim could not testify against him in the pending criminal case. During the period from May 7, 2016, through May 20, 2016, Musbach repeatedly communicated with the administrator of a murder-for-hire website, which operated on the dark net, and which purported to offer contract killings or other acts of violence in return for payment in cryptocurrency, and arranged for a murder-for-hire.

Sellinger's office said Musbach asked if a 14-year-old was too young to target, and upon hearing that the age was not a problem, paid approximately 40 bitcoin (approximately $20,000 at the time) for the hit.

Musbach repeatedly messaged the website’s administrator following up on the hit and asking when it would occur. When pressed for an additional $5,000 to secure the hit, Musbach eventually sought to cancel and asked for a refund of his $20,000. The website’s administrator then revealed that the website was a scam and threatened to reveal Musbach’s information to law enforcement.

Musbach now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 13th.

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