Assessor watched child porn on job and at home Former employee can never hold public job againas part of guilty plea BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer METUCHEN - The borough's former tax assessor spent part of his working hours viewing child pornography on his town hall computer, authorities said. That discovery back in July led to Walter J. Matlack's guilty pleas in Middlesex County Superior Court on Monday. Matlack, 53, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of endangering the welfare of children, which included possession and viewing of child pornography and one count of official misconduct, according to the Middlesex County prosecutor's office. Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa will enter an order permanently barring Matlack from ever holding a public position or public employment in the future, officials said. "Our primary concern was ensuring that Mr. Matlack will never be employed in a public or governmental position in the future," said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan. Matlack, who lives in Long Branch, was appointed the borough's tax assessor in January 2005. Prior to that, he served as tax assessor for Clark Township in Union County for several years. His arrest and plea came about after Middlesex authorities learned that Matlack had been arrested in Monmouth County on similar charges in May 2005. "We didn't find out that he was arrested and charged in Monmouth County until July 17 of this year [2006]," said Police Chief James Keane. "We received correspondence from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office that told us that he was arrested last year. When we became aware of the charges, it concerned us because he was the tax assessor. We took swift actions and spoke to him the next day." When Borough Administrator William Boerth confronted Matlack the next day [July 18], he resigned. "He didn't admit or deny the charges against him," said Keane. "He just resigned." Borough employees found questionable Web sites while they were preparing the computer assigned to Matlack for his tax assessor duties for his replacement, Keane said. "We contacted the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and they did a forensic examination on the computer," said Keane. The examination was done by Investigator John Szilagyi of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Computer Crimes Unit. It was confirmed that Matlack had used the borough's computer to access and view certain child pornography Web sites during working hours, officials said. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, the Long Branch Police Department, and The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Authority arrested Matlack on child pornography charges at his home in Monmouth County on May 26, 2005. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office investigated Matlack back then as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Authority into fee-based subscriptions to online child pornography Web sites. Investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office determined that Matlack had accessed and viewed a number of the child pornography Web sites on his home computer, authorities said. Matlack pleaded guilty in Monmouth County Superior Court to one count of endangering the welfare of children, which includes possession and viewing of child pornography on June 28. The one count of endangering the welfare of children, which includes possession and viewing of child pornography is a fourth-degree offense that carries a maximum sentence of 18 months and a $10,000 fine, according to Assistant Prosecutor Carl Swanson, who handled the case. The one count of official misconduct is a third degree offense that can have a maximum sentence of five years and a $15,000 fine, authorities said. But because of the plea agreement, Matlack will receive a non-custodial sentence with a term of probation to be served concurrently within the sentence to be imposed in Monmouth County, said Swanson. Matlack's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 20 in Middlesex County, following the imposition of his sentence in Monmouth County, which is scheduled for Oct. 13. Metuchen Sgt. David Irizarry and Chief Keane of the Metuchen Police Department and Capt. Raymond Forziati of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and Investigator Raj Chopra of the Middlesex County Sex Crimes Unit, participated in the investigation.