Mitchell Morreale, 45, pleaded guilty Thursday to fourth-degree invasion of privacy.
Mitchell Morreale (Lyndhurst PD) LYNDHURST - Police Chief James O'Connor said four teenage girls who found a video camera in record mode in the closet of a former fire captain's bathroom came to police even though they were devastated by the incident.
"They were extremely upset. They were absolutely traumatized," O'Connor said Friday. "They deserve a lot of credit and I hope these victims can put this behind them."
Mitchell Morreale, 45, pleaded guilty Thursday to fourth-degree invasion of privacy as part of a plea deal to avoid a three-to-five year prison term he faced if convicted of a more serious charge at trial.
Police arrested Morreale last June after the girls told police they found an iPod in record mode while using the bathroom during a pool party in Morreale's home.
The girls used their cell phones to record part of the footage, which they turned over to police.
Ex-firefighter takes plea deal
"I give them a lot of credit for coming forward," O'Connor said. "It had to be embarrassing for them. I hope with this plea these ladies can move on with their lives."
The police chief said Morreale claimed he set up the iPod to record the bathroom because he suspected the girls were smoking marijuana in there.
"His explanation was not plausible," said O'Connor. "In fact, it was lame."
After his arrest, Morreale was suspended from the fire department. He later resigned. Morreale also left his position as a volunteer coach with the township's recreation department, according to the chief.
As part of his plea, Morreale has agreed to undergo sex-offender counseling, but will not be required to register as a sex-offender, according to northjersey.com.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.