Police are charging a supervisor at a Bergen County treatment center for disabled and emotionally disturbed children with sexually abusing a teenager who lived there two years ago.
The Paterson man, 39, was arrested after a month-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
The teen is a former resident of the Holley Center in Hackensack. According to media sources, she reported the alleged abuse to law enforcement officials.
The suspect is a unit supervisor at the facility. He's been charged with the following: Endangering the welfare of a minor (a second-degree crime) and aggravated criminal sexual contact (a third-degree crime).
The facility is operated by the Youth Consultation Services as a home for kids who have development disabilities (including autism) or who are emotionally disturbed. It can house 67 children between the ages of six and 13, according to its website.
The organization has 300 beds in 55 facilities across the state. Children are referred there by the state's Division of Developmental Disabilities and Department of Children and Families.
The nonprofit organization's chief executive officer said they had no prior knowledge of the accusations against the supervisor.
The suspect has worked at the facility for eight years, the CEO said, and has passed detailed background checks.
After the suspect was arrested by Hackensack police, he was taken to Bergen County Jail and held there in lieu of $75,000 bail that does not include a 10 percent cash payment option.
Our firm handles similar situations to the one discussed in this post. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Bergen County criminal defense page.
Source: NorthJersey.com, "Supervisor at Hackensack center for emotionally disturbed children arrested for alleged sexual abuse," July 24, 2012