Area man charged with evidence tampering

MONTVILLE TWP. - A Montville Township man was arrested at 6 p.m. Thursday after reportedly tampering with evidence concerning a sexual crime, police said.

Earl Steidl, 41, of 4417 Sharon Copley Road, allegedly destroyed a SIM card from a digital camera that contained evidence of a sexual offense, Sgt. Terry Grice said.

Police had obtained a search warrant for Steidl's house to look for any evidence pertaining to a sexual offense involving a minor, Grice said, and Steidl later reportedly admitted to discarding the SIM card.

He said he threw it away at a local business, the sergeant said.

Steidl was charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, taken to the county jail, and his bond was set Friday morning at $150,000 with the condition he not be in contact with a minor younger than 18 years of age, court records show.

The case will be presented to a grand jury next month, Grice said.