Two suspended New Jersey state troopers were indicted Wednesday on charges that they allegedly exchanged explicit text messages that contained explicit images of minors.
The Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau obtained a state grand jury indictment Wednesday charging the following two defendants with the listed offenses:
Jeffrey Reitz, 49, of Williamstown
- Possession of Explicit Images of Minors (Four Counts, 3rd degree)
- Official Misconduct (Two Counts, 2nd degree)
- Distribution of Explicit Images of Minors (Two Counts, 2nd degree)
- Attempted Tampering With Evidence (4nd Degree)
Andrea V. Knox, 36, of Mt. Holly
- Possession of Explicit Images of Minors (3rd degree)
- Official Misconduct (2nd degree)
- Attempted Tampering With Evidence (4th degree)
The charges relate to texts that Knox allegedly exchanged with Reitz. Reitz was previously indicted on December 19, 2019, on two counts of possession of explicit images of minors (3rd degree) in connection with email exchanges he had with a different woman.
This indictment supersedes that prior indictment and incorporates the allegations related to Reitz’s email exchanges with that different woman.
According to officials, during those exchanges, the woman proposed that Reitz assault a minor and sent him an explicit photo of the minor.
Officials said that additional explicit images of minors were found in an iCloud account that belonged to Reitz, which was allegedly sent to and received from an unidentified individual.
Further investigation of that iCloud account revealed that Reitz allegedly engaged in explicit conversations about a minor with his fellow trooper Knox.
According to the investigation, On August 27, 2018, Knox allegedly encouraged Reitz by asking for details about the explicit acts Reitz would like to perform on the minor. Reitz later told Knox he had touched the minor.
The investigation found that the pair had another explicit text exchange the following day, during which Reitz sent Knox photos of two nude minors.
According to officials, Knox failed to report that Reitz shared explicit images of minors with her and refrained from reporting an allegation of criminal sexual contact, despite her duty as a police officer to enforce and uphold the State of New Jersey laws.
Officials said that Reitz and Knox are charged with attempted tampering with evidence because Knox and Reitz allegedly attempted to alter or destroy Reitz’s cellphone to impair its verity or availability in the ongoing investigation.
It is alleged that, but for measures taken by investigators, evidence would have been destroyed.
Knox and Reitz were charged in investigations by the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Cyber Crimes Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Rachael Weeks is prosecuting the case.