Plato’s Closet Owner Charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography a

Published on February 15, 2024

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Investigations Robert McNally, and Chief    Dean Adone of the Roxbury Township Police Department announce that Nicholas Zirpoli, age 35, of Lincoln Park, New Jersey, has been charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography and related charges.  Zirpoli was previously charged in December 2023 with nine counts of Invasion of Privacy and one count of Tampering with Evidence.

Zirpoli is the owner and operator of Plato’s Closet, a clothing retail store in Roxbury Township, New Jersey. On or about February 26, 2023, Zirpoli is alleged to have used a device to video record several male and female employees utilizing the restroom at Plato’s Closet and then destroying evidence related to these acts.  During the period of late 2022 to the beginning of 2023, Zirpoli is alleged to have used a device to video record a juvenile female employee and an adult male employee utilizing the restroom at Plato’s Closet at separate times.

Zirpoli has now been charged with the following crimes: one count of Manufacturing Child Pornography pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(b)(3), a crime of the first-degree; one count of Filming a Child in a Prohibited Sexual Act pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(b)(4), a crime of the second-degree; one count of Possession of Child Pornography pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(iii), a crime of the third-degree; one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4(a)(1), a crime of the third-degree; ten counts of Invasion of Privacy pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:14-9(b)(1), a crime of the third-degree; and one count of Tampering with Evidence, a crime of the fourth degree in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:28-6(a)(1).

The defendant was remanded to the Morris County Correctional Facility upon his arrest and was released on pre-trial monitoring conditions on February 8, 2024, in accordance with the Criminal Justice Reform Act.

Members of the Roxbury Township Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor’s Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit participated in the investigation leading to Zirpoli’s arrest.

Anyone with information relating to this or any related incident is asked to call the Roxbury Township Police Department at 973-448-2100 or Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Media inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to [email protected].