2 senior corrections officers charged with sexually assaulting resident, New Jersey AG says
Two senior corrections officers assigned to the Juvenile Justice Commission in Burlington County were charged with sexually assaulting a female resident, the New Jersey attorney general announced Tuesday.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice identified the JJC senior corrections officers as Gary Nieves, 53, of Burlington City, New Jersey, and William Young, 35, of Marlton, New Jersey. The alleged sexual assaults and misconduct happened while the officers were working at the Female Secure Care and Intake Facility, which is a juvenile detention center in Bordentown.
Nieves was charged with four counts of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, witness tampering and official misconduct, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced in a news release. Young was charged with sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and official misconduct, the AG's office said.
"We will not tolerate people in positions of power using their authority to abuse those in their care," Platkin said in a statement. "The allegations facing these officers, that they preyed on a young person who was in their custody, warrant serious consequences."
According to the AG's office, the affidavit of probable cause alleges that back on Aug. 14, JJC staffers were notified that two senior corrections officers working at the Female Secure Care and Intake Facility had been having unlawful sexual contact with a resident on multiple occasions.
The unidentified victim confirmed the allegations involving Nieves and Young, according to the AG's office. The alleged sexual assault and contact took place in multiple areas throughout the secure care facility, including shared spaces and where the victim resided, the AG's office said.
The AG's office said both Nieves and Young were acting in their roles as senior corrections officers when they engaged in the alleged sexual contact and assault, including penetration, on multiple occasions with the victim.
If convicted on the charges, Nieves and Young could spend up to 10 years in New Jersey state prison for each assault and misconduct count, the AG's office said.