Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Jefferson Township Chief of Police Paul Castimore announce the arrest of Richard Kattermann, age 31, of Jefferson Township, in connection with possession of Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM).
The defendant has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of CSAM), a third-degree crime in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4B(5)(b)(iii).
The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referencing a media file, allegedly depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors. The media file was allegedly uploaded to Discord, an internet-based social platform, by the defendant. It is further alleged that the defendant possessed additional items of CSAM. At the time of this investigation, he was employed at Montgomery Academy, a school serving students from age 5 to 21, located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
Kattermann was arrested on the above charges on February 8, 2024. Following his arrest, he was released pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act with pretrial release conditions that include supervision and internet monitoring.
Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Jefferson Township Police Department, the Bernards Township Police Department, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their efforts in this investigation.
If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
