PHILLIPSBURG, NJ — A Garfield man was arrested in Phillipsburg on Thursday, November 20, on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.
Andrew G. Maurer, 37, of Garfield, is accused of using the internet to view, download, and possess more than 1,000 digital files depicting nude or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children.
The investigation began when the Garfield Police Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit about a local resident suspected of having child sexual abuse material.
Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit initiated an investigation that included a court-authorized search of Maurer’s residence in Garfield.
Maurer was arrested in Phillipsburg and charged with second-degree possession of child pornography, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(b)5(b)(ii).
He was remanded to Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
Prosecutor Musella stated that the charge is an accusation and Maurer is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Musella thanked the Garfield Police Department, Phillipsburg Police Department, Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, and Hasbrouck Heights Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
