By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
A Freehold Township resident who worked as a substitute teacher at Freehold Township High School has been charged with second degree sexual assault and second degree endangering the welfare of a child, Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
According to a press release, Daniel Kropa, 24, was arrested on June 29 after an investigation conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau and the Freehold Township Police Department revealed he allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a student under the age of 18 over a period of several months.
Kropa was released from custody after posting $100,000 bail, as set by state Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen. Kropa was ordered not to have any contact with the student, not to return to Freehold Township High School and not to have any unsupervised contact with individuals under 18, according to the prosecutor.
Rebecca Policastro, a spokeswoman for the Freehold Regional High School District, said, “The safety and security of students is our first concern and is paramount to us. (Kropa) was a substitute teacher and is no longer permitted on district property. We have worked closely with local authorities on this matter, but are unable to comment further due to privacy laws.”
Policastro said privacy laws prevented her from saying how long Kropa worked as a substitute teacher in the district and whether he worked in any of the district’s five other high schools.
If convicted of the second degree offense of sexual assault or endangering the welfare of a child, Kropa faces a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison on each count. He would also be subject to the provisions of Megan’s Law (registration as a sex offender) and parole supervision for life requiring a minimum of 15 years of parole supervision following his release from prison, according to the prosecutor.
A message left for attorney Richard P. Lomurro of Freehold Township, who is representing Kropa, was not returned.