By: Richard L. Smith
A Farmingdale man who serves as both a Board of Education member and a crossing guard in the town has been charged with possessing explicit materials involving minors, according to a statement released by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago on Friday.
William L. Shaffer, 47, faces one count of third-degree possession of such materials.
The charge stems from an investigation launched in September 2024 by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) High Tech Bureau’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit.
The probe was initiated after a CyberTip was received from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which was alerted by a cloud-based software company.
The investigation revealed that Shaffer had been viewing and was in possession of the unlawful content.
Shaffer was arrested without incident on Friday morning by members of the MCPO High Tech Bureau and its Search Warrant Execution Team (SWET).
Authorities are urging anyone with additional information related to this case to contact MCPO Detective Anthony Lacher at 800-533-7443.
The charges against Shaffer highlight the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the possession and distribution of materials exploiting minors, with the Prosecutor’s Office emphasizing the importance of public vigilance and cooperation in such cases.