Firefighter Uploaded Child Porn At Work, Charged In Morris Co.: Police

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A Morris County man is facing charges after police say they found child pornography in his possession.

James T. Hess, 49, of the Landing section of Mt. Arlington, was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, said Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.

According to police, the first charge is for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the second is for possessing the material.

The arrest was prompted after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office about an apparent upload of images of child pornography, Carroll said.

An investigation by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office found that the video files were allegedly uploaded to Kik, an internet-based chat application, by Hess, who is also accused of viewing child pornography on Kik.

Hess allegedly uploaded child sex abuse material while working as a captain at the Netcong Volunteer Fire Department.

The prosecutor's office claimed Hess also "possessed additional images of CSAM on an electronic device" while working for the New Jersey Fireman's Home.

The New Jersey Fireman's Home, located in Boonton, is a healthcare facility dedicated to the men and women of the New Jersey Fire Service.

On Dec. 21, police arrested Hess on the aforementioned charges. Following his arrest, he was released under the Criminal Justice Reform Act with pretrial release conditions that included monitoring and limited internet access.

Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Sex Crimes / Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200.