Prosecutors: New Jersey state troopers facing child pornography charges after explicit text exchanges
Prosecutors say the charges against Andrea Knox stem from explicit texts with second trooper, Jeffrey Reitz. (New Jersey Attorney General's Office)
NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey state trooper has been suspended after she was arrested on charges that she received images of child pornography from a second trooper during sexually explicit text exchanges with him and failed to report the conduct to the police, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Andrea V. Knox, 35, of Mt. Holly, New Jersey, was arrested on charges of official misconduct and possession of child pornography.
Knox allegedly exchanged texts with Jeffrey Reitz, 48, of Williamstown, New Jersey. Reitz was arrested Tuesday on a charge of distribution of child pornography. According to prosecutors, Reitz was previously indicted on Dec. 19, 2019, on two counts of possession of child pornography in a separate case related to text exchanges with a different woman.
Investigators say Reitz allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations about an underage girl with his fellow trooper Knox. Prosecutors say on Aug. 27, 2018, Knox is accused of encouraging Reitz by asking for details about the sex acts Reitz would like to perform on the girl.
The following day, the pair had another sexually explicit text exchange, during which Reitz sent Knox photos of people at a nudist location, including two female children who were both naked with their genitals visible, according to prosecutors. Knox failed to report that Reitz shared items of child pornography with her, investigators said.
Knox, who is assigned to Troop D Moorestown Station, was released after a first court appearance. She has been suspended by the New Jersey State Police.
The investigation is going.
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