FREEHOLD – A Howell man has been charged with possessing child sexual abuse material following an investigation that involved multiple law enforcement agencies, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced.
John T. Curley, 61, is facing one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators with the Howell Township Police Department executed search warrants that led to the discovery of multiple images of child sexual abuse material on electronic devices, authorities said.
Curley was arrested without incident on September 24. Prosecutors have filed a motion to keep him detained until trial, with a hearing scheduled for October 1. The case has been assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Merlin K. Thomas. Curley is represented by Michael Chazen, an attorney based in Freehold.
Santiago credited the Howell Township Police Department, FBI Newark, the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bay Head, Brick, Monmouth University, and Point Pleasant Beach Police Departments with assisting in the investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with additional information about Curley to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Shawn Murphy at 800-533-7443 or Howell Detective Daniel Bozza at 732-938-4111.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
