Middletown Man In Child Porn Arrest

FANWOOD, NJ — A man who now lives in Middletown but until recently lived in Fanwood was charged with being in possession of more than 10,000 digital images of child sex abuse material, according to acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo.

Joseph Poutre, 55, of Middletown, is charged with a single count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

According to the Union County prosecutor, an investigation into Poutre’s activities began after a tip was received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works with the New Jersey State Police.

That tip led to an IP address being used by Poutre, who at the time lived on the 2000 block of Princeton Avenue in Fanwood.

Police seized Poutre’s computer and did a forensic audit to find the digital images, which had previously been deleted, said the prosecutor.

Poutre turned himself in and was formally charged last week. He is ordered to appear in Union County Superior Court on April 7.

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