South Jersey Fire Chief Admits Sharing Child Pornography Online: Authorities

The former chief of the Audubon Park Volunteer Fire Company has admitted that he used a computer at the fire station to share child pornography online, the Attorney General’s Office announced.

John Terruso, 46, of Marlton, pleaded guilty today to charges of second-degree distribution of child pornography and third-degree possession of 100 or more files of child pornography. He faces six years in state prison, including three years of parole ineligibility.

He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life. He also will be permanently barred from public office and employment. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 25.

Terruso admitted that he knowingly used Internet file-sharing software to make multiple files of child pornography available for any other user to download from “shared folders” that he controlled on a computer at the fire station on Road C, according to authorities.

He was arrested on June 10, 2015 at the fire station after investigators executed a search warrant and discovered more than 1,000 files of suspected child pornography on computer equipment used by Terruso.

The investigation began when a special agent with HSI Newark was monitoring a file-sharing network popular with offenders who seek child pornography.

The agent used advanced technology to search for telltale digital “fingerprints” of known child pornography as well as search terms associated with child pornography.

He identified an Internet Protocol address, which police say he ultimately traced to a computer at the fire station, which had child pornography available in a shared folder.

He partially downloaded a video from the folder that showed an adult man raping a prepubescent girl, authorities said.

During the investigation, he identified additional child pornography in a shared folder on a computer at the fire station, including videos of prepubescent boys having sex with other boys and adult males, according to authorities. Terruso was identified as the man sharing the child pornography.

The Division of Criminal Justice and HSI Newark led the investigation, with assistance from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Haddon Township Police Department.

“Distribution of child pornography is an abhorrent crime that promotes and creates a market for the sexual exploitation of innocent children,” Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said. “By using his position as fire chief to commit these crimes with computer equipment at the firehouse, Terruso betrayed the public and every standard of decency. This guilty plea ensures that he will pay a heavy price for his offenses.”

“The offenders who share child pornography online come from all walks of life, as this case highlights, but the horrible crime they commit against children remains the same,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We’ll continue to work closely with HSI, the State Police and our other law enforcement partners to expose these criminals wherever they may hide and bring them to justice.”

“The distribution of child pornography is a global problem with local impact. To discover that a public servant entrusted with protecting the community was instead engaging in activity that victimizes the most vulnerable members of our society is disturbing” said acting Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael of HSI Newark. “Let this case be a constant reminder that HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in New Jersey to pursue these criminals and bring them to justice.”

Anyone with information about distribution of child pornography on the Internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the Internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – is asked to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.

The attached image of John Terruso was provided by the Attorney General’s Office