Crime & Safety
State Senator Urges Action on Child Videotaping Bill in Wake of Arrest
Sen. Kevin O'Toole calls alleged incident involving Watchung man "chilling."
N.J. State Sen. Kevin O'Toole, R-Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, wants to use the recent to spur action on his bill increasing penalties for all unauthorized taping of children.
Sen. O'Toole sent a letter urging Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas Scutari to immediately post his protection measure S-713 for a vote.
“Under no circumstances should any child be unknowingly videotaped, photographed or otherwise recorded without parental consent,” Sen. O’Toole said. “This legislation reflects our paramount responsibility as legislators to ensure the safest possible atmosphere for children and provides authorities with greater resources and prosecution power to protect our children.”
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S-713 would make recording a minor without parental consent under any circumstances a third-degree crime—currently, only recording minors’ private body parts or their engagement in an act of sexual contact is a third-degree crime, under the invasion of privacy law. Sen. O'Toole said it's also a third-degree crime to distribute such recordings. Third-degree crimes are punishable by up to five years in prison.
Sen. O’Toole sent Sen. Scutari a letter last week after Deck had been charged with videotaping minors in a bathroom at the Land of Make Believe in Hope. The charges led to an investigation that brought further charges, including , and Deck's alleged possession of a .22-caliber rifle in violation of a court order from a previous conviction.
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The Senate will return from its summer break around Sept. 13, and O'Toole urged the committee chairman to immediately post the bill, which O'Toole introduced in January, for a vote in the committee.
“This alleged incident is a chilling account of possible dangers children face,” Sen. O’Toole said. “People who even attempt to endanger the welfare of children must know that such despicable acts will be met with criminal charges and serious jail time.”
Deck is being held in the Warren County Correctional Center, with bail set at $200,000.
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