Police: Assistant Boy Scout Leader Sent Sexual Texts To Child

HAZLET, NJ - A township man who served as a volunteer assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America, has been charged with a single count of endangering the welfare of a child after exchanging multiple sexually explicit messages with a young boy in Middletown, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

Joseph Palermo, 25, is charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child following a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Middletown Township Police Department.

If convicted, Palermo could face a sentence of three to five years in prison, authorities said.

Palermo was released Friday after his first appearance before Monmouth County Presiding Municipal Court Judge James M. Newman who ordered Palermo have no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Palermo also was prohibited from having any contact with the victim in the current case and required Palermo eport to pre-trial services in person once every other week and by telephone every other week.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Det. Shawn Murphy of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-431-7160 ext. 7032 or Det. Darrin Simon of the Middletown Police Department at 732-615-2100.

Anyone who feels the need to remain anonymous but has information about a crime may contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers confidential telephone tip-line by calling 1-800-671-4400; can text “MONMOUTH” plus their tip to 274637 or they may email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

Monmouth County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of criminals and fugitives.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fichter, director of the Special Victims Bureau. Palermo is represented by lawyer Ryan Clark of Freehold.

Joseph Palermo of Hazlet. Photograph provided by Monmouth County Prosecutor.