Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Jackson Township Police Chief Matthew Kunz announced that on October 25, 2023, Andrew Fantasia, 27, of Beachwood, was charged with Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Official Misconduct.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and Jackson Township Police Department determined that between February 2023 and June 2023, Fantasia – while employed in his official capacity as a teacher at Carl W. Goetz Middle School and club advisor at Jackson Memorial High School – had inappropriate sexual contact with a student on high school property. The investigation further revealed that Fantasia requested nude photos from the victim.
On October 25, 2023, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit, Jackson Township Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, executed a court-authorized search warrant at Fantasia’s residence; as a result, Detectives seized multiple electronic devices in Fantasia’s possession. Fantasia was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.
“I would encourage parents to have a conversation with their children in order to determine whether they had Mr. Fantasia as a teacher or advisor. If anyone is in possession of additional information regarding Mr. Fantasia or this investigation, please contact Detective Janine Kaiser of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, extension 5821, or Detective Joseph Pante of the Jackson Township Police Department at 732-833-3016,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
Prosecutor Billhimer and Chief Kunz acknowledge the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).