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William O’Neill, a resident of Jackson, New Jersey, was arrested this week for allegedly abusing his teenage victim, who is between the ages of 13 and 16, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced.
The alleged sexual assaults happened in the summer of 2018 and continued until the teen alerted authorities on Jan. 12.
O’Neill is listed as a director on Scarsdale’s Camp Hillard website. He is also a swimming coach at the Scarsdale camp, according to reports.
Billhimer noted that O’Neill is currently employed by the Jackson Township Board of Education as a teacher and is a basketball coach at Jackson Memorial High School.
After being taken into police custody, O’Neill was charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He is currently being held in Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The alleged crimes did not take place on school property, the Jackson School District wrote in a Monday letter sent to parents.
“In accordance with state law, the employee has been suspended with pay during the investigation. He will not be permitted on school property,” the letter stated. “Our district will continue to work closely with law enforcement and our school resource officers during the investigation.
“The safety and security of our students and staff is our most important priority. As this involves a district staff member, we want our families to know that if any student needs help processing this information, we encourage you to contact your school’s guidance counselor or principal."
Billhimer said that the investigation into O’Neill and his activities is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding O’Neill has been asked to contact Det. Stephanie Bayha at the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office by calling (732) 929-2027 or Det. Michael Goelz at the Jackson Township Police Department by calling (732) 928-1111.
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