Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on November 1, 2023, Andrew Fantasia, 27, of Beachwood, was charged with Possession of Child Pornography and an additional count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Fantasia had previously been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, and Official Misconduct, on October 25, 2023.
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.
A full forensic analysis of Fantasia’s electronic devices, conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, revealed nude images of the victim on Fantasia’s cellular phone. On November 1, 2023, Fantasia was served with the additional charges as noted above by way of warrant at the Ocean County Jail.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges 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).