Youth exchange panel member suspended
Child porn charges in New York spur action in Marlboro
BY VICTORIA HURLEY-SCHUBERT
Staff Writer

A 39-year-old man with Marlboro connections has been suspended from the Marlboro Youth Exchange Advisory Committee after he was charged with possession of child pornography and dissemination of indecent materials in New York City.

Richard Michael Wirin, who started the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee more than 12 years ago, was arrested on May 3 after his work laptop was obtained by the Computer Crimes Squad of the New York Police Department and officials claimed to have discovered more than 20 pictures of boys between the ages of 13 and 16 in the nude being abused by other children and older men.

The charges against Wirin include promoting and possessing a sexual performance by a child. Promoting includes the uploading, downloading and/or e-mailing of the images off the Internet, according to a spokesperson in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Wirin posted $25,000 bail and was released following his arrest. He is scheduled to appear in New York State Criminal Court on Aug. 20. The felony charges are punishable by up to seven years in prison, according to the spokesperson.

If someone is found guilty of a sex offense in another state, he still must register under the provision of Megan's Law in New Jersey, according to the Marlboro Police Department.

The New York Post initially reported details of Wirin's arrest in its NYPD Daily Blotter section on May 8.

Wirin has been employed in New York City and maintains a residence in West New York, Hudson County, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Wirin lived in Marlboro until about a year ago, said township police.

Wirin started the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee, which oversees an annual youth exchange program between Marlboro and Nanto City, Japan, more than 12 years ago when he was living in the township, according to Township Council President Jeff Cantor.

He had been continuously reappointed to the advisory committee by the council since then.

"He always had some role with the committee," said Cantor.

After Wirin moved to West New York he maintained contact with Marlboro using his former address and was kept on the advisory committee because the rest of the committee members wanted him on and because he had all the contacts in Japan for the exchange program, said Cantor.

Marlboro police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office are working in cooperation with the Manhattan District Attorney's office, said Marlboro Detective Sgt. Paul Reed.

Reed said a search warrant had been executed locally in the investigation.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is conducting an independent review of the circumstances and no charges have been filed, said Peter Warshaw, first assistant prosecutor.

"It's too early to tell and the matter remains active," Warshaw said Monday.

Wirin's suspension from the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee was announced by Cantor at the end of the May 17 council meeting when a copy of the letter Marlboro officials sent to Wirin to notify him of the suspension was read into the public record.

The letter states, "Since you have contact with Marlboro students and/or Japanese students in your capacity as a member of this committee, and given the serious nature and type of criminal charges pending against you, the Township Council is hereby suspending your appointment to the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee pending the outcome of these criminal charges."

Wirin was directed to have no further contact with other committee members or children who may participate in the program.

Marlboro Councilman Joseph Pernice said he was informed a couple of weeks ago that Wirin had been arrested in Manhattan. Pernice is the council's liaison to the Youth Exchange Advisory Committee. At that time, Pernice said, he had Wirin removed from all e-mail lists and committee contact.

"I haven't spoken to him at all this year; he hasn't shown up at one meeting," said Pernice, who confirmed that Wirin was employed at a food distribution company in New York City.

"It is our responsibility to ensure he has no contact with youth," Cantor added.