TRENTON – A State Trooper was charged with receiving child pornography texts with a co-worker and not reporting it.
Andrea V. Knox, 35, of Mt. Holly was charged with official misconduct (2nd degree) and possession of child pornography (3rd degree). She had been working from the Troop D Moorestown Station, but has been suspended by the New Jersey State Police.
According to police, Knox exchanged texts in 2018 with Jeffrey Reitz, 48, of Williamstown. She allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations about an underage girl with Reitz, who was a fellow trooper.
Police said she encouraged him by asking for details about sex acts Reitz would like to perform on the girl. The next day, they continued sending explicit texts. Reitz sent Knox photos of people at a nudist location, including two female children who were both naked.
Knox didn’t report that Reitz shared items of child pornography with her, police said.
The charges followed from an investigation into Reitz and his iCloud account, which had images of child pornography. He was charged with distribution of child pornography (2nd degree). He was previously indicted on two counts of possession of child pornography (3rd degree) in a separate case related to text exchanges with a different woman. During this separate incident, that woman suggested Reitz sexually assault a young girl and sent him a sexually explicit photo of the girl.
Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in 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. The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
