Montclair Child Luring Case Raises Concerns Of Other Victims: AG – Montclair, NJ Patch

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair man has been accused of trying to lure a boy he believed was 15-years-old to the township to have sex, authorities announced Tuesday.

Detectives arrested Keith F. Matheis, 67, of Montclair, on Monday at his home, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

Prosecutors said the investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip from a social media service that a user allegedly distributed a file of child sexual exploitation to another user via a direct message.

The state Division of Criminal Justice Financial and Cyber Crimes Bureau then began investigating the user who sent the file, authorities said.

According to prosecutors:

“Further investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice revealed that the user, who was identified as Matheis, allegedly engaged in sexually explicit chats with multiple users he believed were under 16-years-old. He allegedly arranged to meet one suspected minor child in Montclair in order to have sex with him. He also allegedly sent child sexual abuse materials to multiple persons, including users he believed were minors, and he allegedly sent a photo of his genitals to a victim he believed was 15.”

Matheis was charged with luring a child (second degree), showing obscene materials to a person under 18 (third degree), showing obscene materials to a person under 18 – and at least four years younger than the defendant – for defendant’s sexual gratification (third degree), distribution of child sexual abuse materials (second degree), and possession of child sexual abuse materials (third degree).

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000, prosecutors said.

Matheis was taken to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark pending a detention hearing, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said the allegations “raise concerns about other potential victims.”

Anyone who might have relevant information about Matheis can contact the New Jersey ICAC Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007, authorities said.

Grewal commended the detectives and attorneys who conducted the investigation and made the arrest. He also thanked the Montclair Police Department for assisting with the arrest and the execution of a search warrant at Matheis’ home.

“Cases such as this highlight the need for parents to vigilantly monitor their children’s online activity and educate their children about the potential dangers of social media,” Division of Criminal Justice Director Veronica Allende said.

“In addition to pursuing tips from NCMEC, we routinely conduct proactive investigations on social media platforms and peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to identify child predators and offenders distributing child sexual abuse materials,” Allende said.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com