A former teacher at a Mendham drug and alcohol treatment center was recently sentenced to probation for committing multiple sex crimes.
The suspect is a 30-year-old woman who lives in Pompton Lakes and who used to work as an art teacher at the Daytop Village treatment facility in Mendham, New Jersey. While working at the facility in September 2014, the suspect sexually touched an 18-year-old male resident on his genitals. Additionally, the suspect reportedly allowed a 17-year-old male resident to view nude images of the suspect on a cell phone.
In 2014, authorities placed the suspect under arrest and charged her with numerous sex offenses. The suspect ultimately reached a plea agreement with Morris County prosecutors. In exchange for the suspect pleading guilty to one count of criminal sexual contact and one count of child abuse, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office agreed to recommend a sentence that did not include prison time.
One factor in prosecutors’ decision to recommend probation, not jail time, was the fact that the suspect has previously been diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. This may have been considered a mitigating factor in the case. The suspect’s defense attorney said that the suspect had received treatment for her mental illness.
Ultimately, the Morris County Superior Court judge agreed with prosecutors and sentenced the suspect to two years of probation.
Additionally, the suspect agreed to surrender her teaching license in the State of New Jersey.
For more information about this case, view the DailyRecord.com article, “Former Daytop-Mendham Teacher Gets Probation for Sexual Abuse.”
