A New Jersey detective is accused of sending sexual text messages and a naked photo of himself to a minor, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Monday.
Michael Vermeylen, 42, of Oak Ridge, was arrested Friday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and obscenity to minors.
An investigation into Vermeylen, a detective with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, began when an undercover officer started monitoring the victim’s cellphone.
According to the investigation, Vermeylen sent numerous “inappropriate sexual text messages” to the young victim, who authorities described as a Monmouth County resident and a “known acquaintance” of Vermeylen.
Investigators further found Vermeylen had “expressed his attraction to the juvenile” and sent the victim a lewd photo of himself.
Vermeylen was booked into the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, where he’s being held as he awaits proceedings in Superior Court, online records show.
Anyone with information about the case is being urged to contact MCPO Detective Anthony Lacher at (800) 533-7443.