Man Known to Camp In Wharton, Bass River Forests Wanted By Police

New Jersey State Park Police are looking for Theodore Blackson, a man who is known to camp and panhandle in Wharton State Forest, Bass River State Forest, and along Batona trail.

Blackson is a 34-year-old registered sex offender who was released from state prison last month and is now wanted for violating the conditions of his parole, according to State Park Police.

“Blackson often camps in wooded areas along the Batona Trail,” State Park Police said. “In the past he has been seen panhandling in this area as well.”

Blackson is 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, and usually wears a green camo jacket. A registered tier 2 sex offender, Blackson is considered a moderate risk, according to State Police.

NJ.com reports that in 2010, Blackson, then a Magnolia resident, and another man were sentenced to eight years in state prison for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the dugout of a Little League field in Magnolia after getting her drunk.

He was released from prison in 2015 but has returned to prison three more times since; in 2018, from Nov. 7, 2020, to April 1, 2021, and from Oct. 5, 2021, to April 4, according to the Department of Corrections records.

If you see Blackson you are asked to call State Park Police at 877-927-6337.