New Child Porn Charge For Man Accused in Chester Sex Assault

As a new charge surfaced for a convicted child abuser from Watchung on Wednesday, 53-year-old Patrick Deck may be facing a combined more than 30 years in prison if now convicted of videotaping and sexually assaulting minors in addition to being in possesion of child pornography.

In the past year, . On Wednesday he made an initial appearance on a one-count charge of child pornography possession after authorities said he was found to have three sexually-explicit images of young boys on his laptop computer.

In August 2012, Deck appeared in court on charges of videotaping children urinating at the Land of Make Believe amusement park, sexually assaulting a child and being in possession of child pornography. Authorities also said he was in possession of a .22-caliber rifle.

That arrest was the result of a Somerset County Prosecutor's Office investigation into allegations that Deck, a Lakeview Avenue resident, had videotaped children in the Hope Township amusement park bathroom. Ultimately, he was charged with three counts of invasion of privacy after New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Park Police, Watchung Borough Police Department and several other agencies investigated the allegations.

The same week, he was accused of sexually assaulting a child between the ages of 11 and 12 years old and in Chester Township he was accused of filming a child less than 16 years old engaging in a sexual act. Deck was charged with second-degree sexual assault by contact with a child between 11 and 12 years old. He was also charged in Chester with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly having sexual contact with the child when the child was between 6 and 10 years old.

Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke said the charges in Watchung and Chester stem from alleged contact with the same child who was familiar with Deck. Additionally, Deck was charged last year in Hope Township with possession of images of children under the age of 16 and fourth-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

A Superior Court judge said Deck would not be eligible for a plea agreement and a restraining order was placed on Deck, barring him from having any contact whatsoever with the child victim.

Deck was already facing up to five years in prison on the invasion of privacy charges for the amusement park incident, plus an additional possible 15 years on sexual assault and endangerment charges, but on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said he could also face 10 years on child pornography possession charges. Additionally, Deck could be forced to pay thousands of dollars in fines.

After his first appearance on the new child pornography possession charges Wednesday, Deck was detained without bail.