A former police officer with the Newton Police Department has been accused sexually assaulting a teenage boy at a local Burger King and is currently being held in a Morris County jail.
The suspect, a 39-year-old man from Hampton NJ, allegedly committed the sex crime at a Burger King in Newton, New Jersey.
The victim, a 16-year-old boy, reported the sexual assault to law enforcement. Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office detectives then began an investigation, which is ongoing.
At a recent court hearing, the suspect pleaded not guilty to the very serious sexual offense charges. The charges against the suspect include sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal restraint.
If the suspect is convicted of sexual assault, he would face severe penalties. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2 classifies sexual assault as a second degree felony. A conviction on sexual assault charges could lead to a sentence of 5-10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
One factor in any punishment issued in the case could be the fact that the suspect has a prior conviction for exposing himself to motorists while making traffic stops. In 2015, the suspect was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to criminal charges. Additionally, the suspect resigned from his job with the Newton Police Department.
The suspect is currently being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, New Jersey. It is unclear why the suspect is in police custody at the Morris County NJ jail and not at a Sussex County jail.
The suspect will likely remain behind bars after a Morris County Superior Court judge maintained his bail amount at $200,000.
For additional information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Ex-Newton Cop Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen to Stay in Jail.”
