A former Monmouth Regional High School teacher was charged on July 24 with having sexual contact with a second student.
Nicholas DePue, 29, was charged last month after allegedly carrying on a yearlong relationship with one of his students, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.
DePue, of Jackson, was charged last month with second-degree counts of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, but further investigation discovered a second student-victim. DePue now faces additional charges of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, Gramiccioni said.
He is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $250,000 cash only bail.
DePue was also ordered to have no contact with his victims and he is not permitted to return to the scenes of his crimes.
According to the county’s prosecutor’s office, last month, as a result of the original charges, DePue was fired from his job as a teacher at Monmouth Regional High School.
Investigators are urging any additional victims to come forward by contacting Detective Carolina Moreno of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533- 7443, or Detective Joe Shuler of the Tinton Falls Police Department at 732-542-3400.
If convicted, each of the endangering the welfare of a child charges carries a state prison sentence of five to 10 years, subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and parole supervision for life requiring he serve a minimum of 15 years parole following his release from state prison.
If convicted of criminal sexual contact, DePue faces up to 18 months in state prison.
If convicted of sexual assault, DePue faces a sentence of up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and Parole Supervision for Life.