N.J. man pleads guilty to sending obscene matter to minors – Eagle-Tribune

NEWBURYPORT – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to almost 20 charges of sending obscene matter to minors Wednesday in Newburyport District Court and will spend the next six months in jail. 

The man, Matthew Settele, 43, of Heckman Street, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, was initially sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars but Judge Peter Doyle suspended all but 15 months for two years while Settele is on probation. Settele was also given credit for 252 days already served. 

During his time on probation, he must register as a sex offender with the state, have no contact with anyone under 16 years of age and must not use the internet. 

Settele was arrested in early May by Phillipsburg police with help from Massachusetts police detectives after he was served a search warrant at his home. He was arraigned after authorities in Phillipsburg drove to New Haven, Connecticut, where Newbury police Detective Sgt. Aaron Wojtkowski and Salisbury police Detective Keith Forget met them at a rest stop.

Earlier in May, Settele was charged in New Jersey with 19 counts of providing obscene matter to a minor and a single count of dissemination of obscene matter. Of those 19 charges, 13 were filed by Newbury police and six by Salisbury police following an internet sting.

Settele believed he was chatting with 14-year-olds on Facebook Messenger but instead was chatting with Wojtkowski and Forget, according to an Essex County prosecutor.

The detectives were working independently without knowing Settele was speaking to both of them.

The investigation began Feb. 28 and culminated in early May when New Jersey police obtained the search warrant for Settele’s home, according to Wojtkowski, who was among those who served the warrant.

Police allege that while using Facebook Messenger, Settele contacted what he believed to be teens and sent them many photos of his genitals. He also asked them to send photos of themselves and confessed that he would like to have sex with them, according to the prosecutor.

Settele also was charged by investigators from the Warren County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office with possession of child pornography after police searched his home.

Staff writer Dave Rogers can be reached at drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.