Disgraced children's magician arrested for child pornography

Metro

By Chris Harris

Angry parents in a New Jersey suburb are calling on a local politician to resign following the recent arrest of her ex-husband – a disgraced child magician – on child pornography charges.

Scott Morley, former owner of Morley's Magic Theater in Butler, was arrested May 15 on charges of possessing child sexual abuse images and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police retrieved the disturbing images from his computer and found a pair of girls' underwear at his home.

The 48-year-old was best known as Morley the Magician, working children's parties throughout the tri-state area.

He and his soon-to-be ex-wife also owned and operated Morley's Magic Shop in Butler since 2014, offering after-school programs and magic and puppet-making workshops.

Over the holidays, Morley's Magic Theater hosted children for Christmas photos – with the Morleys playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Since the bankruptcy, Morley has taken down its social media pages and website.

Morley's ex-wife, Britni Morley, serves on the Butler Borough Council.

Although she has not been charged with any crime, seven of Butler's relatives who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity accused her of knowing about her ex-husband's crimes and demanded that she resigns.

The Morleys share two young daughters, and all four acted as actors until late last year.

The couple separated in February and Britni filed for divorce in March.

An alleged witness came forward in April, according to an arrest affidavit.

He was hired to paint the theater inside Morley's Magic Shop and completed the work in 2022.

At one point during the renovation work, the worker allegedly came across a bag containing the underwear and several USB drives.

The purported witness, authorities say in the affidavit, confronted Morley about the gruesome discovery, and the magician began smashing the thumb drives with a hammer.

The affidavit does not mention why the accuser waited so long to come forward.

Some in Butler believe Britni knew what was happening long before her arrest.

The councilwoman's father, Walter Orcutt, is also a local politician, serving as deputy mayor of Blairstown.

Britni Morley's divorce lawyer, Andrew DeLaney, said his client is fully cooperating with the investigation into her husband.

“Any suggestion of wrongdoing on his part is baseless, disgusting and ultimately destructive to the criminal justice process,” he said. “We are seeking to conclude the divorce so that my client can focus on raising her two children and providing for them financially and emotionally.”

Parents are expected to turn out in force at the next Butler council meeting on June 18 to demand Britni Morley's resignation.

“My children participated in drop-off programs and we were deceived by Britni, who served our children on a platter for Scott's fantasies,” another mom told the Post. “I am disgusted, appalled, saddened and angry. It was only thanks to his wife that I entrusted them with my daughter and my son.

“He should be put in prison with his wife for knowing,” the relative added.

Another mother said the Butler community wanted answers, including whether the magician had photos of their children.

“She still sits on the board and she still has access to the kids,” the mother said. “I don’t know why she wasn’t charged.”

“Finding out about Scott and his sick secrets was heartbreaking,” mom Candida Santee told the Post. “I think many of us are so upset by the actions of Britni and Scott and the lack of empathy towards the families.”

Prosecutors said the investigation into Scott Morley began recently, “when the Morris County Prosecutor's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received an anonymous tip.”

The affidavit alleges Morley told cops he had “about 50 questionable images” on his phone, but several “others on different devices.”

When questioned about the images, he told police he “preferred young people”.

The affidavit claims he admitted to using the underwear and illegal images to gratify himself.

Morley also allegedly told investigators after his arrest that he had been collecting child pornography since 1996.

He was released without bail.

He is prohibited from using the Internet and cannot have any contact with minors.

Morley did not respond to requests for comment.

His lawyer, Robert Bianchi, said his “client maintains his innocence and we are convinced that the court saw fit to release him despite the objections of the prosecutor.”

Many parents who spoke to the Post say they have tried to contact Butler Mayor Ryan Martinez through his personal Facebook page as well as calls and texts to ask if Morley plans to resign.

They claim he responded by blocking them.

“There seems to be a big effort to silence the parents and protect Britni,” one of the anonymous parents claimed.

Martinez, an attorney, appointed Scott Morley to the borough's economic development commission in February 2023.

He would have referred Britni Morley to her divorce lawyer.

He did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment.

Butler Borough Administrator Jim Lampmann told the Post, “The mayor, like all borough officials, certainly understands and shares the concerns and outrage these accusations have generated. This matter is being handled by the relevant authorities and they, not Facebook, should be the source of information and commentary to prevent the spread of false information and protect the victims, families and everyone involved in this matter .