By: Najla Alexander
Morris County authorities announced the arrest of Richard Kattermann, 31, of Jefferson Township, in connection with possession of explicit images of minors (CSAM).
According to officials, the defendant has been charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Possession of CSAM), a third-degree crime.
The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referencing a media file allegedly depicting the explicit exploitation or abuse of minors, officials said.
Officials say the media file was allegedly uploaded to Discord, an internet-based social platform, by the defendant.
Authorities say 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, officials stated.
Officials said Kattermann was arrested on the above charges on February 8, 2024.
Following his arrest, officials say, he was released pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act with pretrial release conditions that included supervision and internet monitoring.