A 37-year-old Egg Harbor Township man was arrested Monday for allegedly distributing and possessing child pornography over the internet — including some photos that showed prepubescent girls being bound and tortured with knives pointed at them, authorities said.

Thomas Ballard was arrested at his home following the execution of a search warrant that permitted detectives to search his home and truck and led to the seizure of two computers and several phones, according to the Attorney General's Office. Ballard was charged with distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and tampering with evidence.

Ballard is currently being held at Atlantic County Jail on $100,000 bail.

Authorities said the man first came to their attention in 2010 after he was allegedly posting comments on a website saying — known to be frequented by those interested in child porn images — saying he "trades privately."

Between October 2013 and March 2014, Ballard had allegedly been sending child pornography pictures and videos and had distributed more than 3,000 files via email depicting sexual exploitation of children.

Ballard could face up to 5 to 10 years if convicted.

The Division of Criminal Justice Computer Crimes Unit and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Investigations coordinated the investigation. They were assisted by the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department.