AUDUBON PARK, N.J. (WPVI) --
A former fire chief pleaded guilty Tuesday to using a computer at the fire station to share child pornography.
Forty-six-year-old John Terruso is the former chief of the Audubon Park Volunteer Fire Company.
Investigators found more than 1,000 files of suspected child pornography on the computers back in June of 2015.
Terruso pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree distribution of child pornography and third-degree possession of 100 or more files of child pornography.
Sentencing is set for late August.
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Thursday, June 11, 2015
AUDUBON PARK, N.J. (WPVI) -- State prosecutors have accused a New Jersey fire chief of using the firehouse computer to distribute child pornography online.
Authorities arrested 44-year-old John Terruso of Marlton at the Audubon Park Volunteer Fire Company in Camden County on Wednesday night.
The investigation began when a Homeland Security Investigations agent was monitoring a file-sharing network popular with offenders.
Investigators seized four laptop computers, a desktop computer, two external hard drives, a tablet, thumb drives and cellphones.
The state attorney general's office says a preliminary review of the equipment revealed over 1,000 files of suspected child pornography.
"We charge that Terruso sordidly abused the trust placed in him as fire chief by viewing and sharing child pornography at the fire station," said Acting Attorney General Hoffman in a statement.
"In doing so, he allegedly linked himself to the depraved network of offenders who, by sharing child pornography, perpetually re-victimize the children involved and directly motivate those who sexually exploit and torture children to create these vile materials," Hoffman continued.
Residents nearby were disgusted.
"It's sad to hear, really, on account of it's so close to me," said Walt Ashe. "Every day we go through there with my grandson. He's only seven years old."
Pornographic videos were visible inside Terruso's work van parked outside the firehouse.
Terruso is held on $150,000 bail, charged with distribution and possession of child pornography