Orchestra conductor of a school in New Jersey allegedly distributed material about child sexual abuse

An Ocean County public school orchestra conductor was arrested last month and charged with distributing child sexual abuse materials to social media users, authorities said Friday.

Christopher A. Decesare, 31, of Matawan, was arrested Aug. 29 and charged with second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse material, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.

According to prosecutors, Decesare is a music teacher and orchestra director at Toms River Intermediate South School.

He has been employed by Toms River Regional Schools since September 1, 2020, and earns approximately $55,000 per year, according to public records.

Thomas Huth, a Freehold attorney representing Decesare, was out of the office Friday and not immediately available for comment. Decesare did not respond to a message on his cellphone seeking comment.

District officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Decesare's employment status. Decesare's name was still listed in the district's teacher directory late Friday morning.

The prosecutor's office said its unit responsible for cybercrime against children received information about Decesare in July from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, whose members had followed up on a tip from a social media platform.

The investigation revealed that Decesare had distributed child sexual abuse material via social media, Santiago claimed.

Further investigations revealed that Decesare also received the materials through his private email account, Santiago said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call District Attorney Detective Anthony Lacher at 800-533-7443.