NJ School Employee Uploaded Child Porn To Discord, Prosecutor Charges

JEFFERSON, NJ — An employee at a school for students with special needs has been arrested for possessing child pornography after a tip from a national database, the Morris County Prosecutor said.

Official said that during the time of the investigation, Jefferson resident Richard Kattermann was employed at Montgomery Academy in Basking Ridge. This school serves children and adults with special needs, ages 5 to 21.

School officials did not respond to Patch's request for comment Friday.

Authorities said Kattermann faces a third-degree charge of endangering the welfare of a child, in connection with possession of child sex abuse material. Officials arrested the 31-year-old on Feb. 8.

This investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), said Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and other law enforcement officials.

The tip referenced a media file "allegedly depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors" which Kattermann is accused of uploading to the chat app Discord, officials said. Authorities also accuse him of possessing additional items of child pornography.

Following Kattermann's arrest, he was released under pretrial conditions that include supervision and internet monitoring, officials said.

Authorities encourage anyone with additional information about this investigation to call the MCPO Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, part of the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit, at 973-285-6200.

Carroll said the Jefferson Township Police Department, Bernards Township Police Department, and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted in the investigation.