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Douglas Bollinger of Neptune City, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 18, to endangering the welfare of a child, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release.
Investigators said Bollinger, 57, engaged in "inappropriate sexual contact" with a student. The incidents happened in Point Pleasant Beach and Asbury Park between February and August 2019.
Bollinger was a teacher at the Grunin Performing Arts Academy, part of Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS). The academy in Toms River had 240 students as of September 2023 and offers high schoolers opportunities to take dual-credit courses at Ocean County College while pursuing artistic programs.
Bollinger was named the school’s Teacher of the Year for 2020-21, according to the Ocean County Vocational Technical Education Association. He worked as a theater instructor that school year.
U.S. Marshals arrested Bollinger at his home on Thursday, Aug. 15. He was sent to the Ocean County Jail but later released on bail.
Bollinger was scheduled for sentencing on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Prosecutors said he'll receive lifetime parole supervision, must register as a sex offender, and cannot contact the victim.
As part of his sentence, Bollinger will also lose his teaching certifications and he'll be banned from public employment in New Jersey.
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