Pinelands HS Employee Exposed Himself, Lured Young Girls: Prosecutor

TUCKERTON, NJ — A Tuckerton man and paraprofessional at Pinelands Regional exposed his genitals and sexually propositioned children several times in Lakewood, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Michael Marto, 28, was charged with sexual assault, luring, lewdness and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the incidents on Nov. 24, 2024, Dec. 5, 2024, Dec. 12, 2024 and Jan. 5, 2025, all in Lakewood, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Marto was listed as a paraprofessional on the Pinelands Regional School District website; however, as of Friday morning his name has been removed.

In the first report, a man was seen in a car exposing his penis to a 10-year-old girl riding on a Segway, Billhimer said. Lakewood police got a description of the man.

Then, on Dec. 5, a man in a black SUV was seen following a 15-year-old girl in the area of Colman Avenue and Milton Street, Billhimer said. As she was walking, the SUV followed her closely, stopping whenever she did, Billhimer said. The driver sexually propositioned the girl, who ran into her home, and the SUV sped away, Billhimer said.

On Dec. 12, police received another report that a man in a black SUV attempted to lure a 15-year-old girl into his car, Billhimer said.

He began driving slowly next to the girl who was walking on the street, rolled down the passenger side window and sexually propositioned her, Billhimer said. The girl fled from the scene.

Yet another report of a man in a black SUV came to Lakewood police on Jan. 5, Billhimer said. The driver followed a 17-year-old girl on Cushman Street and made sexual comments to her twice before driving away, Billhimer said.

As investigation continued, Marto was determined to be the driver in these incidents, Billhimer said. He was taken into custody at his Tuckerton home on Feb. 20 and remains in Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.