BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer
BRICK — A Burlington County resident was charged with sexual assault for inappropriately touching a 9-year-old boy after a New Year’s Eve party at a home located in Brick.
Greg Monsolino, 36, of Lumberton Township, left the couch where he was sleeping on the second floor of the house and went downstairs where several children were sleeping during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, according to Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Robert Gasser. He allegedly came up to the boy from behind and inappropriately touched the boy’s genitals. The incident was witnessed by another 9-year-old boy, Gasser said.
Monsolino was arrested on the morning of Jan. 3 and is still being held at Ocean County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. He has been charged with sexual assault, a second-degree crime that could carry 10 years in prison, and endangering the welfare of a child in the fourth degree.
Gasser explained that the sexual assault charge is a second-degree crime because there was no penetration, just inappropriate touching. The endangering the welfare of a child charge is a fourth-degree crime because the child was not left in Monsolino’s care.
At the time of the incident, Monsolino, who is single, was working as a fourth-grade substitute teacher at Hainesport Township School, Burlington County. Monsolino was working in the position full time because the teacher he was filling in for was on maternity leave, Gasser said.
Hainesport Superintendent of Schools Mark Silverstein said Friday that Monsolino was removed from the substitute list at the district’s Board of Education meeting the night before.
“He will no longer be allowed on this property,” Silverstein said.
Monsolino began substituting at the school in September and was given an “extensive” background check before being hired, Silverstein said. There have been no reports by anyone in the school district that there were problems with Monsolino, the superintendent said.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office notified the school district and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office of the incident, Gasser said.
The incident was reported by the boy and his parents to Brick police Detectives James Burgess and Jay Steele of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes Division.