A former teacher at a Mendham NJ drug-treatment facility has been accused of having sex with an 18-year-old student.
The 28-year-old defendant, a resident of Pompton Lakes, allegedly had a sexual relationship with the student; this reportedly included oral sex and sexual intercourse. According to authorities, the student was a court-ordered resident of the Daytop drug treatment center.
Prosecutors said that the defendant also had several “sexual conversations” with the teen.
Shortly after the allegations came to light, the defendant was suspended from her position at the facility.
According to prosecutors, the defendant admitted to the illegal conduct. She has been charged with second degree sexual assault because she allegedly had supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim; however, her defense attorney denied that she had any supervisory role with the student.
If the defendant is convicted on the sexual assault charges, she could be sentenced to as many as 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
Appearing at a bail hearing in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown, the defendant’s defense attorney said that his client “made a poor choice” but that no one was injured as a result of her actions. This was the defendant’s first court appearance in the case; she remained at the Morris County Jail and appeared via closed-circuit television.
The judge rejected the contention that “no one was injured” by the defendant’s conduct. The judge also chastised the defendant by noting that she “breached the trust of the community.” Nonetheless, the judge lowered the defendant’s bail from $150,000 to $125,000.
If the defendant posts bail and is released, she will be barred from having contact with anyone under the age of 18.
For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “Having Sex with Student was ‘a Poor Choice,’ Attorney for Drug-Treatment Facility Teacher Says.”