NEWTON — Sussex County Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez announced the arrest of Karl R. Heideck, 45, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, on cyber-harassment charges connected to threatening emails sent to a Sussex County public official.
According to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, on August 2, a Sussex County public official received communications through electronic means containing lewd, indecent, or obscene material intended to emotionally harm a reasonable person or place a reasonable person in fear of physical or emotional harm. The office said the emails included graphic and threatening language directed at the official and her family, along with derogatory statements about her role overseeing public safety in Sussex County.
The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, together with the Newton Police Department, opened an investigation that led to Heideck’s arrest. Heideck is a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Heideck was charged on a complaint warrant with the following offense:
- Cyber-Harassment (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4.1a), a crime of the fourth degree
Heideck was lodged at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending his first appearance in Sussex County Superior Court. Fourth-degree cyber-harassment carries a maximum sentence of eighteen months in New Jersey State Prison.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Newton Police Department. The State is represented by Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Jerome P. Neidhardt. The defendant is represented by Ernesto Cerimele.
Editor’s Note: 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.
