Ex-Parsippany Magician Sentenced For Having Child Porn

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A Morris County-based magician and performer who has been accused of child porn possession was sentenced to 45 days in the Morris County jail, Morris County officials said.

Parsippany-Troy Hills resident Scott Morley, 49, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to charges of possession of child pornography and was sentenced last week by state Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor.

Officials said Morley was the former owner of Morley's Magic Theater, a magic shop and performance space in Butler. The shop and theater, located at 18 Boonton Avenue, has since closed, and both its website and Facebook page have been taken down.

After his arrest in May, Morley pleaded guilty to third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, admitting to possessing hundreds of images that sexually exploited children.

The investigation began last spring when the Morris County Prosecutor's Office received an anonymous tip suggesting Morley may be in possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, the tipster, who had been painting inside the theater between 2021 and 2022, reported finding "a bag of thumb drives and a pair of children's female underwear." The tipster claimed to have confronted Morley about the items, and Morley allegedly responded by taking a hammer and destroying them, as outlined in the affidavit filed in court.

Read more: Morris Magic Shop Owner Smashed USB Drives After Child Porn Confrontation: Docs

After the tipster reported their allegations to the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce on April 11, the Prosecutor's Office informed local police. A search of the defendant’s electronic devices, authorized by a warrant, revealed explicit material on his computer, prosecutors said.

Morley reportedly told police that his interest in child porn dated back to 1996, and that he had "questionable" images on his cell phone, which were also recovered by police, court documents show.

In addition to his prison term, Morley will be on probation for two years. During this time, he will be subject to internet monitoring on his devices and will be prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children under 18.