MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Mount Arlington Police Officer in Charge Sgt. Ryan Sherburne, Randolph Police Chief Will Harzula, and Rockaway Township Police Chief Robert Scherr, Jr. confirmed that Thomas Hughes, 74, of Budd Lake, has been charged in connection with multiple incidents involving explicit photographs and sexually explicit notes left on parked vehicles.
On September 30, a 17-year-old girl and her mother reported to the Mount Arlington Police Department that, after leaving the QuickChek in Mount Arlington, they found a note tucked beneath their windshield wiper. Upon reaching their destination, they discovered a Polaroid photo of male genitalia along with a sexually explicit handwritten note.
Following an investigation, detectives identified Hughes as the individual responsible for leaving the photo and note. Authorities also linked Hughes to two similar incidents — one involving two adult victims outside a Randolph restaurant on October 4, and another involving an adult victim in Rockaway Township on June 15, 2024.
Hughes was arrested on October 15, and charged with the following offenses:
- One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Sexual Conduct), third degree (N.J.S. 2C:24-4A(1))
- One count of Providing Obscene Materials to a Minor, third degree (N.J.S. 2C:34-3B(2))
- Three counts of Distributing Obscene Materials, fourth degree (N.J.S. 2C:34-2B)
- Four counts of Lewdness, disorderly persons offense (N.J.S. 2C:14-4A)
- Four counts of Harassment, petty disorderly persons offense (N.J.S. 2C:33-4)
Hughes was taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility and later released under Pretrial Monitoring Level III with conditions prohibiting contact with the victims and banning him from returning to the businesses where the alleged incidents occurred.
Prosecutor Carroll thanked the Mount Arlington Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit for their assistance in the investigation.
Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit at (973) 285-6200.
Editor’s Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
