A 27-year-old Monroe Township man who worked as a firefighter in both Jersey City and Old Bridge was arrested Tuesday on charges that he posed as a minor online to produce child sexual abuse material. Drew Martucci now faces a first-degree production charge along with a string of second- and third-degree counts, and he remains held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility as he awaits a pretrial detention hearing.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Linda Estremera and Monroe Township Police Chief Griffin Banos announced the charges, according to New Jersey Globe. Martucci faces a first-degree charge of producing child sexual abuse material, along with second-degree charges of manufacturing, attempted manufacturing, and distributing the material, the outlet reported. He also faces third-degree charges of endangering the welfare of a child, possession of child sexual abuse material, invasion of privacy, and two counts of distributing obscene material to a child.
Prosecutors allege Martucci represented himself as a minor in order to produce the material, a claim that underscores how directly investigators say he deceived the people he targeted. As reported by Hudson County View, the case was built by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office ICAC Unit, led by Det. Ken McGarry.
How the Investigation Unfolded
The case began after the New Jersey State Police received a cyber tip, which set off a broader investigation involving multiple agencies, per New Jersey Globe's reporting. Authorities then executed a search warrant at Martucci's Monroe Township home, where he was taken into custody without incident Tuesday.
Per Hudson County View, the arrest itself involved the FBI's Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force, the Monroe Township Police Department, the Middlesex County ICAC Task Force, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office ESD K-9 unit. New Jersey Globe notes that the investigation remains active, with assistance from the FBI and several local and state law enforcement agencies.
Fire Departments Respond
Martucci was employed as an Old Bridge firefighter at the time of his arrest and also worked for the Jersey City Fire Department. He additionally belongs to the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Company #1, according to the same New Jersey Globe report. Both the Jersey City Fire Department and Old Bridge Fire District 3 immediately suspended him without pay once they learned of his arrest, the outlet reported.
In her statement on the case, Estremera expressed gratitude to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago and members of his office, as well as to the Monroe Township and Sayreville police departments, the Maryland State Police, and the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, according to Hudson County View's reporting on the announcement.
Broader Context on Child Exploitation Cases
Cases like this one typically fall under the jurisdiction of New Jersey's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which the New Jersey State Police describes as responsible for investigating offenders who use computers and technology to exploit children, often through child pornography or luring. The unit serves as the state's designated ICAC task force, coordinating the kind of multi-agency response seen in the Martucci case.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact Det. Ken McGarry at the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at 732-745-3140, per Hudson County View. The investigation is ongoing, and no case outcome or additional charges have been announced beyond those detailed by prosecutors this week.
