Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Director Anthony Caputo of the New Brunswick Police Department said today that a paraprofessional with the New Brunswick school system has been arrested and charged with engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with a 13-year old female student.
Officials say Eugene Colbert, 31, of South River, a paraprofessional in the New Brunswick school system, as well as a member of the coaching staff, was arrested on March 19th and charged with aggravated sexual assault in the first degree, sexual assault in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree, aggravated criminal sexual contact in the third degree, and engaging in criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree with a 13-year-old female student.
According to authorities, Colbert was charged during an investigation by Detective Bill Coleman of the New Brunswick Police Department and Detective Oscar Ayala of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation determined that from November 2018 through March 2019, the defendant engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a female student, when the victim was 13 years of age, while on school property and during school hours.
New Brunswick school officials initially failed to notify law enforcement of the criminal activity as is required by the Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement Between Education and Law Enforcement Officials.
During the time when the criminal conduct occurred, the defendant had supervisory and disciplinary power over the victim by virtue of his employment as a paraprofessional as well as a coaching staff for the victim’s school. Colbert has been dismissed from the New Brunswick school system where he was employed since 2009.
Officials say Colbert is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick pending his initial court appearance today.
The investigation is active and is continuing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Coleman (732) 745-5200 or Detective Ayala at (732) 745-4045.
As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Colbert are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.