ROXBURY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Nicholas Zirpoli, the 36-year-old former owner of Plato’s Closet in Roxbury Township, has been sentenced following his guilty plea to multiple counts of invasion of privacy and possession of child images, according to an announcement by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Zirpoli, a resident of Lincoln Park, was sentenced on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, by Judge Stephen J. Taylor, P.J.S.C.
Zirpoli pleaded guilty earlier this year on May 13 to ten counts of third-degree invasion of privacy and one count of third-degree possession of child images. As part of the sentence, Zirpoli received three years of probation and 364 days to be served in the Morris County Correctional Facility. In addition, he has been ordered to have no contact with the victims or their families and to continue undergoing psychotherapy.
The charges against Zirpoli were the result of incidents that took place from late 2022 to early 2023, during which he used a hidden recording device to secretly film employees at his store. According to investigators, a total of 11 individuals, including both juveniles and adults, were videotaped while using the restroom at Plato’s Closet, a secondhand clothing store in Roxbury Township.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll commended the efforts of the Roxbury Township Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit, which jointly conducted the investigation leading to Zirpoli’s arrest. Authorities did not release details about how the recordings were discovered, but noted that the investigation revealed the use of a concealed device to capture footage of unsuspecting employees at different times.
“The nature of these offenses, involving both the violation of privacy and the possession of illegal images, underscores the serious breach of trust committed by the defendant,” said Prosecutor Carroll in a statement. He also emphasized the importance of swift action by law enforcement in handling the case.
Zirpoli’s sentencing includes strict conditions. In addition to his probation and time in the county correctional facility, Zirpoli is barred from any future contact with the individuals he victimized. The court also mandated that Zirpoli continue with psychotherapy as part of his rehabilitation.
The investigation that led to Zirpoli’s conviction was a coordinated effort by local law enforcement and the county prosecutor’s office. Chief of Investigations Robert McNally and Chief Dean Adone of the Roxbury Township Police Department assisted in leading the case.
