Sussex County church youth leader sent pics of genitals to girl, cops say

HOPATCONG — The youth leader of a local church was arrested last month after police determined he had sent at least one inappropriate picture of himself to a teenage girl last month.

According to police, 32-year-old Michael De Block was arrested on Sept. 26 after police were informed by the church about the allegation that he was sending pictures to the teen over Snapchat.

Police say Youth Leaders were only allowed to communicate with students at meetings, and that leaders are only paired with children of the same gender. De Block, according to police, was found to have sent at least one picture of his genitals over social media. He was charged with third-degree promoting obscenities to a minor and third-degree child endangerment.

Especially in light of the steps taken by the church to prevent such communication, police say it is important for parents to warn their children about the potential dangers that come with social media.

"Please talk to your child. Tell them that they also can be charged with a crime for sending a nude pic of themselves over the internet," the police said. "We cannot stop every sexual predator. However, we can teach our children how to prevent becoming a victim."

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com