New jersey man busted for series of lewd incident with young girls in lakewood

A Tuckerton man is in custody after being linked to a series of disturbing incidents involving young girls in Lakewood, authorities announced. Michael Marto, 28, faces charges of sexual assault, luring, lewdness, and endangering the welfare of children following a string of events that began last November.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer laid out the case Wednesday, pinning Marto to four separate incidents. It started November 24, 2024, when Lakewood police received a report of a man exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl riding a Segway on Locust Street. Officers got a description of the suspect, but the case grew colder—until more reports rolled in.

On December 5, a 15-year-old girl near Coleman Avenue and Milton Street told cops a black SUV followed her closely as she walked. The driver allegedly made a sexual remark before she ran home and he sped off. Then, on December 12, another 15-year-old reported a similar encounter on Warren Avenue—a black SUV tracked her, and the driver tried coaxing her inside with inappropriate comments. She took off running.

The latest incident came January 5, when a 17-year-old walking on Cushman Street said a man in a black SUV made sexual remarks to her twice before driving away. Investigators eventually connected the dots to Marto.

On February 20, detectives from Lakewood, Little Egg Harbor, and Tuckerton police departments arrested him at his home without incident. He’s now in Ocean County Jail, awaiting a detention hearing.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.