JACKSON – A Jackson Township Middle School teacher has received additional charges after police found nude pictures of a student on his phone, officials said.
Andrew Fantasia, 27, of Beachwood, was charged with Possession of Child Pornography and an additional count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Fantasia had previously been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, and Official Misconduct, on October 25.
Fantasia is a teacher at Carl W. Goetz Middle School and club advisor at Jackson Memorial High School. According to police, he had inappropriate sexual contact with a student on high school property between February 2023 and June 2023.
Authorities later determined that Fantasia had requested nude photos from the victim.
On October 25, police searched Fantasia’s home and seized multiple electronic devices in Fantasia’s possession. Fantasia was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.
After a full forensic analysis of Fantasia’s electronic devices, detectives found nude images of the victim on Fantasia’s cell phone.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
The charges referenced are merely accusations and the an public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
