Alleged sex offender nabbed with teen in Florham Park

FLORHAM PARK - A 32-year-old Camden County man was arrested Friday when police found him in a vehicle with a 16-year-old he met online, according to a Florham Park police report.

Township police charged Russell R. Decker, of Sicklerville, with endangering the welfare of a child, exhibiting obscene material to a child and possession of child pornography, all crimes of the third degree.

According to investigators, Decker and the teen had met online and formed a relationship. During the course of this relationship, police allege that both parties sent explicit photographs and videos of themselves to each other.

The victim was not identified by age, gender or place of residence.

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According to the report, Florham Park officers responded to a call about a vehicle with damage in the parking lot of the Emmett Field recreation facility. Officers Joseph Rega and Joel Phillips located the vehicle with fresh damage and observed Decker in the vehicle with the minor.

Decker advised the officers that the damage to the vehicle was from a prior accident. They later determined that the damage occurred when Decker backed into a Dumpster in the Florham Park Pool parking lot. The officers also detected an odor of alcohol emanating from the interior of the vehicle and from Decker’s person.

Decker was subsequently charged with DWI, driving under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, driving while suspended, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident and driving with an expired license.

Decker also was charged with providing false information to a police officer after allegedly giving Phillips a false name during their initial contact.

An investigation by Detective Michael Neilan and Det. Lt. Joseph Orlando led to the more serious charges related to the minor victim.

Bail was set at $20,000 by Florham Park Municipal Court Judge Gary Troxell. Decker was remanded in the Morris County Correctional Facility in default of bail and pending a court appearance in Morris County Superior Court. He was still at the jail on Monday morning.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.