Tag:

Sexual Assault

Former Ocean City Lifeguard, Pleasantville Teacher Sentenced After Sexual Misconduct Probe Former Ocean City Lifeguard, Pleasantville Teacher Sentenced After Sexual Misconduct Probe
Former Ocean City Lifeguard, Pleasantville Teacher Sentenced After Sexual Misconduct Probe A former Ocean City lifeguard and Atlantic County teacher avoided jail time after he was accused of sexual misconduct, authorities said. Jonathan Howell, 42, of Marmora, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 18 to four years probation, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in a news release. Howell was a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol and a teacher in the Pleasantville School District. Investigators said social media posts in April 2021 made several accusations against members of Ocean City Beach Patrol, including Howell. "Since that time the prosecuto…
NJ Restaurant Owner Preyed On Job Applicant, Sexually Assaulted Others, Authorities Say NJ Restaurant Owner Preyed On Job Applicant, Sexually Assaulted Others, Authorities Say
NJ Restaurant Owner Preyed On Job Applicant, Sexually Assaulted Others, Authorities Say The owner of three restaurants in Trenton has been arrested for multiple sexual assaults including a job applicant, authorities said. Gerald Araya, 44, of Ewing, was arrested in Trenton on Wednesday, June 19, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, Lawrence Township Police Chief Christopher Longo and Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson.  He is charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts o…
9-Year-Old Found Strangled In PA Church, Police Seek Tips 62 Years Later 9-Year-Old Found Strangled In PA Church, Police Seek Tips 62 Years Later
9-Year-Old Found Strangled In PA Church, Police Seek Tips 62 Years Later Pennsylvania State Police investigators are seeking tips in a 9-year-old girl's cold case murder.  Carol Ann Dougherty was found dead inside St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Bristol Borough on Oct. 22, 1962. She was strangled and had been sexually assaulted, according to troopers.  Police said Dougherty had stopped at the church while riding her bike to the library. She had stopped there to say a prayer, according to a report in the Bristol Courier-Times the day after her murder.  Then-Bristol Police Chief Vincent Faragalli called her killing "one of the most br…
NJ Amtrak Employee Lied To Feds Investigating Sleeper Car Sex Assault, DOJ Says NJ Amtrak Employee Lied To Feds Investigating Sleeper Car Sex Assault, DOJ Says
NJ Amtrak Employee Lied To Feds Investigating Sleeper Car Sex Assault, DOJ Says An Amtrak employee from New Jersey has been charged in a federal indictment for lying to federal investigators questioning him about a sexual assault he allegedly carried out on a passenger during a trip from Washington DC to Chicago, authorities said. Maurice Driver, 35, of Gloucester City, NJ, was charged with lying to a federal agent in a five-count indictment unsealed on Tuesday, June 4, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Mike Waters of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General Eastern Area Field Office announced. Driver had been working as a lead service atte…
Registered Sex Offender In Mullica Who Sexually Abused 13-Year-Old Sentenced: Prosecutors Registered Sex Offender In Mullica Who Sexually Abused 13-Year-Old Sentenced: Prosecutors
Registered Sex Offender In Mullica Who Sexually Abused 13-Year-Old Sentenced: Prosecutors A registered sex offender in Atlantic County will spend more than a decade in prison for sexually assaulting a child, authorities said. Marcelino Cruz, 35, of Mullica Township, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 4 to 16 years in state prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. A jury found him guilty on Wednesday, Feb. 7 of second-degree sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and possession of child sexual abuse material. An investigation began when a 13-year-old's mother found disturbing text messages on the child's phone. Police co…
Cumberland County Man Gets 10 Years For Sexually Assaulting Child, Authorities Say Cumberland County Man Gets 10 Years For Sexually Assaulting Child, Authorities Say
Cumberland County Man Gets 10 Years For Sexually Assaulting Child, Authorities Say A 39-year-old Cumberland County man has been sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting a child multiple times over a decade, authorities said. Juan Hernandez-Antonio, of Bridgeton, was charged in April 2022 with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and child endangerment, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office. Superior Court Judge William Ziegler sentenced Hernandez-Antonio on Friday, May 31 to 10 years, with a requirement that he serve 85% of that time before he’s eligible for parole, according to the courts' assistant criminal division …
Special Education Teacher Sexually Touched 14 Students In South Jersey: Prosecutor Special Education Teacher Sexually Touched 14 Students In South Jersey: Prosecutor
Special Education Teacher Sexually Touched 14 Students In South Jersey: Prosecutor A special education teacher who was charged last year with sexually touching seven children has been charged with touching an additional seven students, authorities said. Vincent Root, 59, of Philadelphia, a teacher at Chatsworth Elementary School, has been charged with 14 counts of sexual assault and 14 counts of child endangerment, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw The investigation began in September 2023 after a student accused Root of touching him inappropriately during previous school years, the prosecutor said. The investigation revealed that the victi…
Ax-Wielding Man Who Forced Ex-GF Into Sex Heads To NJ State Slammer, Prosecutor Says Ax-Wielding Man Who Forced Ex-GF Into Sex Heads To NJ State Slammer, Prosecutor Says
Ax-Wielding Man Who Forced Ex-GF Into Sex Heads To NJ State Slammer, Prosecutor Says A hatchet-wielding 50-year-old man who forced an ex-girlfriend to have sex was sentenced to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison, authorities said. Julio Sigurani, Jr., of Deerfield, was sentenced on Monday, May 13, according to Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-Mcrae. Sigurani was convicted at a trial of sexual assault and kidnapping, Webb-McRae said. The charges stemmed from a sexual assault that occurred on Aug. 13, 2020, in Deerfield. The defendant and victim had previously been in a relationship, the prosecutor said. Shortly after midnight, Sigurani entered the victi…
South Jersey Man Who Sexually Assaulted 4 Minors Sentenced: Prosecutor South Jersey Man Who Sexually Assaulted 4 Minors Sentenced: Prosecutor
South Jersey Man Who Sexually Assaulted 4 Minors Sentenced: Prosecutor A 67-year-old South Jersey man has been sentenced to eight years in New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting four children under the age of 13, authorities said. On Monday, May 6, Andy Chanza, of Newfield was sentenced in connection with the sex attacks which took place over a period of 29 years in Vineland, according to Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charges on Dec. 22, 2023, she said. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and be subject to Parole S…
Former NJ Middle School Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student: Prosecutor Former NJ Middle School Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student: Prosecutor
Former NJ Middle School Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student: Prosecutor A 32-year-old former teacher from North Bergen has been charged with sexually assaulting a student at Carteret Middle School, authorities said. Jeffrey Munguia was also charged on Wednesday, April 24 with endangering the welfare of a child, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Carterest Police Chief Dennis McFadden.  The investigation revealed that Munguia was the victim’s teacher at Carteret Middle School when the incident occurred in 2022, they said. He was arrested without incident on Wednesday. The investigation is active and continuing. An…
Ex-Con Sentenced For Home Invasion, Sexually Assaulting Woman In Asbury Park: Prosecutors Ex-Con Sentenced For Home Invasion, Sexually Assaulting Woman In Asbury Park: Prosecutors
Ex-Con Sentenced For Home Invasion, Sexually Assaulting Woman In Asbury Park: Prosecutors An Asbury Park ex-convict will spend more than three decades in prison after he was convicted of a home invasion and sexual assault, authorities said. Shawn Connolly, 37, was sentenced on Tuesday, Apr. 23 to 40 years in prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced in a news release. He'll be eligible for parole after 34 years under the No Early Release Act. Asbury Park police responded to a home on Seventh Avenue just before 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Officers immediately found Connolly, arrested him, and recovered what he stole from his pockets. Investigat…
Camden County Man Convicted In Decade-Old Central Jersey Rape Case Camden County Man Convicted In Decade-Old Central Jersey Rape Case
Camden County Man Convicted In Decade-Old Central Jersey Rape Case A 40-year-old man from Camden County has been convicted for rape during a home invasion break-in nearly 10 years ago, authorities said. Danny McEaddy, of Sicklerville, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday, April 18, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. On Sept. 21, 2014, a female reported being sexually assaulted by an unknown male who had unlawfully forced his way into her apartment in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge Township.  Based on the DNA analysis of biological samples found at the crime scene, McEaddy was identified as the man who s…
NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial
NJ HS Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student Freed From Jail Until Trial A Mercer County high school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student several times at a Monmouth County wildlife preserve was released from jail to await her trial, authorities said. A judge denied a request on Wednesday, Apr. 17 to keep 37-year-old Jessica Sawicki of Point Pleasant Beach in jail through her trial, a Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson said. She was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Sawicki was arrested on Monday, Apr. 8, according to an affidavit obtai…
NJ Teacher Admits Having Unprotected Sex With Student 5X Or More: Affidavit NJ Teacher Admits Having Unprotected Sex With Student 5X Or More: Affidavit
NJ Teacher Admits Having Unprotected Sex With Student 5X Or More: Affidavit A Mercer County high school teacher admitted to sexually assaulting a student multiple times times in a vehicle at a Monmouth County wildlife preserve, according to police paperwork obtained by Daily Voice. Jessica Sawicki, 37, of Point Pleasant, was arrested on Monday, Apr. 8, and charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife officers found Sawicki and the victim "in states of undress" in the back of the victim's car at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in Upper…
South Jersey Corrections Officer Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting Girl Under 13 Years Old South Jersey Corrections Officer Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting Girl Under 13 Years Old
South Jersey Corrections Officer Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting Girl Under 13 Years Old A Cape May County corrections officer was convicted of sexually assaulting a girl younger than 13 years old, authorities said. A jury found 34-year-old Jonathan Perez guilty on four charges on Friday, Apr. 12, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in a news release. He was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a minor, second-degree sexual assault, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The trial began on Monday, Mar. 18, more than a year after he was arrested. The girl reported the abuse "over an extended period of time" to st…
Man Accused Of Trying To Abduct Girl In South Jersey Crime Spree To Remain In Jail Man Accused Of Trying To Abduct Girl In South Jersey Crime Spree To Remain In Jail
Man Accused Of Trying To Abduct Girl In South Jersey Crime Spree To Remain In Jail A Monmouth County man will remain in jail after he was accused of trying to kidnap a teen girl and groping a woman in a Target parking lot during a two-county crime spree, authorities said. Quamel Benton, 35, of Farmingdale, was ordered by a judge on Wednesday, Apr. 10 to remain in Burlington County Jail through his trial, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was charged in Ocean County with attempted kidnapping, luring, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sexual contact, two counts of eluding, resisting arrest, and obstruction. L…
NJ HS Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student In Wildlife Management Area: Prosecutors NJ HS Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student In Wildlife Management Area: Prosecutors
NJ HS Teacher Sexually Assaulted Student In Wildlife Management Area: Prosecutors A Mercer County high school English teacher was accused of sexually assaulting a student, authorities said. Jessica Sawicki, 37, of Point Pleasant, was arrested for "having a sexual relationship" with a student, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Tuesday, Apr. 9.  She was charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault and five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The investigation into the Hamilton High School West teacher began in early 2024. Investigators said Sawicki "engaged in s…
NJ Rapist Who Impregnated Girl Under 13 Years Old Sentenced NJ Rapist Who Impregnated Girl Under 13 Years Old Sentenced
NJ Rapist Who Impregnated Girl Under 13 Years Old Sentenced A Millville man was sentenced to 40 years in New Jersey State Prison for sexual assault after impregnating a girl under 13 years old, authorities said. Justin Kuhl, 32, was arrested in September 2020 for assaulting the minor, resulting in her pregnancy, according to Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae. Kuhl was later found guilty of two counts of First Degree Aggravated Sexual Assault and two counts and Second Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and sentenced on Wednesday, March 27. The investigation was conducted by members of the New Jersey St…
South Jersey Man Awarded $750K Over 30-Year-Old Sex Assault Case At Youth Center South Jersey Man Awarded $750K Over 30-Year-Old Sex Assault Case At Youth Center
South Jersey Man Awarded $750K Over 30-Year-Old Sex Assault Case At Youth Center A man from Woodbury has won a $750,000 lawsuit for sexual assaults that he was allegedly subjected to at a Salem County youth shelter 30 years ago. Dennis Bachman filed suit in Superior Court in December 2019, accusing a female counselor of sexually assaulting him at the former New Jersey Juveniles in Need of Supervision facility in Woodstown. The alleged abuse occurred around 1994 when Bachman was 15 years old. The lawsuit accused the county of failing to monitor the counselor’s behavior and failing to prevent the sexual assaults.  The lawsuit says the counselor "exploited the trust…
HORRIFYING: Convicted Sex Offender Lured Foreign Woman To NJ To Abuse Her Kids, Feds Say HORRIFYING: Convicted Sex Offender Lured Foreign Woman To NJ To Abuse Her Kids, Feds Say
Horrifying: Convicted Sex Offender Lured Foreign Woman To NJ To Abuse Her Kids, Feds Say WARNING: The allegations described in this report are horrific in the extreme. A registered sex offender from Bergen County lured a woman from the other side of the world to the United States so he could sexually abuse her two young children, federal authorities charged. Corey Hipscher, 52, of Lodi first got the woman's 11-year-old daughter to take naked selfies and send them to him after connecting directly with the youngster on social media, the FBI said. Among the horrific images, federal authorities said, is a video of the youngster self-penetrating with the top of a bowling pin. Soon…
NJ Grade School Custodian, 76, Charged With Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Girl NJ Grade School Custodian, 76, Charged With Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Girl
NJ Grade School Custodian, 76, Charged With Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old Girl A 76-year-old custodian at a grade school in Hackensack was charged with sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl. Phillip A. Porter of Hackensack is accused of rubbing the child’s breasts and vagina and putting his penis in her mouth, according to a complaint filed in Superior Court. Special Victims Unit detectives arrested Porter on Monday, March 25, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. He remained held Tuesday in the Bergen County Jail. Porter is charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault by contact and child endangerment. The 6-foot-3-inch, 165-pound Porter, formerly …
'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI 'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI
'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI A California man is facing federal charges out of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office for a child exploitation scheme, and authorities believe he may have more victims in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. According to the FBI, John Douglas Burch, of Santa Monica, began praying on girls as early as 2014, and has been charged in an indictment with traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and prostitution, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs said. …
Camden County Man Bound Women In Shed, Sexually Assaulted Them: Prosecutor Camden County Man Bound Women In Shed, Sexually Assaulted Them: Prosecutor
Camden County Man Bound Women In Shed, Sexually Assaulted Them: Prosecutor A Camden County man accused of tying up two women he knew in a shed, sexually assaulting them and choking one of them has been arrested, authorities said. On March 7, Waterford Township police received a 911 call from a woman who said that 26-year-old Brandon C. Fickenscher had attacked her on separate occasions, according to Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Acting Berlin Township Police Chief Louis Bordi. Detectives learned that Fickenscher, of Berlin Township, had sexually and physically assaulted the victim in Berlin Township in December 2023, they said.…
NJ National Guard Recruiter Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teen In Hamilton Township NJ National Guard Recruiter Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teen In Hamilton Township
NJ National Guard Recruiter Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teen In Hamilton Township A New Jersey Army National Guard recruiter was accused of sexually assaulting a teen girl, authorities said. Shawn Nguyen, 44, of Egg Harbor Township, was arrested on Monday, Mar. 11. The Township of Hamilton Police Department announced his arrest in a news release.  An investigation into Nguyen began in June 2022 when Township of Hamilton officers responded to a report of a "female in distress" at the Wawa gas station on Black Horse Pike in Mays Landing. Investigators said Nguyen used his position as a recruiter to sexually assault the 16-year-old girl.  Nguyen was cha…
South Jersey Man Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Children: Prosecutor South Jersey Man Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Children: Prosecutor
South Jersey Man Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Children: Prosecutor A 50-year-old man from Burlington County has been sentenced to 21 years in New Jersey State Prison without parole for sexually assaulting children, authorities said. Ian Forrester, of Riverton, pleaded guilty last August to first-degree aggravated sexual assault and child endangerment, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw. Forrester was sentenced on Feb. 26 in the Supreme Court in Mount Holly, the prosecutor said, adding he must serve the entire term before becoming eligible for release. The assaults occurred several years ago on more than one victim. Deta…
NJ Coach Charged With Sexually Assaulting Second Child NJ Coach Charged With Sexually Assaulting Second Child
NJ Coach Charged With Sexually Assaulting Second Child 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A North Jersey youth strength and conditioning coach who’s already awaiting trial first for a double-fatal car crash in Lodi and then for repeated sex assaults of a child is back in jail. Donald Kumar Davis, 33, of Lyndhurst was charged by detectives with sexually assaulting a second child, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced on Monday, March, 4. Davis -- formerly of Nutley -- was previously accused of killing a retired Albanian police chief and a Garfield Walmart manager when he slammed his 2015 Dodge Charger into their car as the immigrant couple as they emerged from t…
Stepfather Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Girl In Atlantic City: Prosecutors Stepfather Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Girl In Atlantic City: Prosecutors
Stepfather Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Girl In Atlantic City: Prosecutors An Atlantic City man will spend several years in prison for sexually assaulting his young stepdaughter, authorities said. 45-year-old Andreas Andreadis was sentenced to nine years in state prison on Thursday, Feb. 29, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. A jury found him guilty after a trial on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Prosecutors said Andreadis went into the girl's bedroom and touched her vagina while she was sleeping on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019. The girl was 8 years old at the time of the sexual assault. Andreadis was convicted of second-degree…
Teacher Accused Of Molesting Girl In South Jersey Dies Weeks Before Trial Teacher Accused Of Molesting Girl In South Jersey Dies Weeks Before Trial
Teacher Accused Of Molesting Girl In South Jersey Dies Weeks Before Trial A South Jersey teacher accused of molesting a 12-year-old student in 2020 has died just weeks before his trial, according to an obituary published by Farnelli Funeral Home. Paul A. VanHouten Jr., 57, of Williamstown, died on Thursday, Feb. 22. A cause of death was not mentioned in the obit. The story was first reported by NJ Advance Media. His attorney, Robert N. Agre, was in court and unavailable for comment when Daily Voice reached out Monday, Feb. 26. A trial for VanHouten was set to begin on March 4 on charges of second-degree sexual assault, child endangerment and official miscon…
SHOCKER: NJ Teacher Had Sex With Student Starting At 15 In School, Car, House: Authorities SHOCKER: NJ Teacher Had Sex With Student Starting At 15 In School, Car, House: Authorities
Shocker: NJ Teacher Had Sex With Student Starting At 15 In School, Car, House: Authorities A married teacher had intercourse as part of a years-long sexual relationship with a former Garfield Middle School student beginning when the youngster was 15, including several times in a car -- and even at the school, authorities charged. Amy Impero D'Ovidio, a 46-year-old Bergen County native, had worked for the Garfield Board of Education when the alleged encounters began, they said. She was 35 at the time. Locations included “within the Garfield Middle School, at a private residence in Cedar Grove, as well as within a vehicle at unknown locations in Bergen, Essex, and Passaic counties…
Female Business Owner Brutally Attacked By Man In Absecon: Police Female Business Owner Brutally Attacked By Man In Absecon: Police
Female Business Owner Brutally Attacked By Man In Absecon: Police A female business owner in Atlantic County was brutally attacked by a man who tried to sexually assault her, authorities said. Dashawn Cooper, 37, of Pleasantville was arrested on Monday, Feb. 19, the Absecon Police Department said in a news release. Officers responded to a 911 call from a store in the downtown business district at around 3:30 p.m. Investigators said Cooper entered the business and attacked the store owner unprovoked. Police also said Cooper did not know the woman. The victim escaped to another nearby business but Cooper followed her inside and locked the door. He then "la…
Salem County Man Indicted For Sexually Assaulting 12-Year-Old Girl Is Still At Large Salem County Man Indicted For Sexually Assaulting 12-Year-Old Girl Is Still At Large
Salem County Man Indicted For Sexually Assaulting 12-Year-Old Girl Is Still At Large A Salem County grand jury has indicted a Pittsgrove man for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, authorities said. Emeterio Alavez-Cruz, 33, is accused of attacking the girl in June 2021, according to prior news accounts. New Jersey State Police issued a call for public assistance in locating Alavez-Cruz, who was known to have connections to Rio Grande, Wildwood, Bridgeton, Penns Grove and New Castle, Delaware. Alavez-Cruz is described as a Hispanic, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Stat…