Assistant scoutmaster accused of exchanging sexually explicit text messages with young boy in New Jersey

HAZLET, New Jersey -- A volunteer assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts is accused of exchanging multiple sexually explicit text messages with a young boy.

25-year-old Joseph Palermo of Hazlet, New Jersey is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

He appeared in a Monmouth County courtroom Friday and was released afterward.

If found guilty Palermo faces three to five years in prison.

The conditions of his release include no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18, no contact with the victim and a requirement to report to pretrial services in person once every other week and by phone every other week.