Joseph L. Tringali, 47, of Manalapan, who serves on two public bodies, has been charged with first degree aggravated sexual assault, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
In a press release issued on Sept. 5, Gramiccioni said Tringali was arrested that day and charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old male over the Labor Day weekend. No other details about the alleged incident were provided by the prosecutor.
Gramiccioni said Tringali was arrested following an investigation conducted by the Manalapan Police Department.
As of Sept. 9, Tringali remained in custody and a detention hearing was scheduled for Sept. 11, according to a spokesman for the prosecutor.
Tringali is an elected member of the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education and is the vice president of and a chaplain with the Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad, according to Gramiccioni.
A message sent to the email address of the Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad president seeking comment about the charges that have been lodged against Tringali was not answered.
Following the prosecutor’s announcement of the charges that have been lodged against Tringali, Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District administrators released the following statement:
“The district is aware of charges today against one of the board members and has been in communication with law enforcement authorities regarding this matter. In that regard, the board will take appropriate action pursuant to law.
“In the meantime, the district has taken and will continue to take administrative action and implement other procedures to limit access to district property as appropriate.
“Administration will continue to monitor this matter and communicate with law enforcement to ensure the safety of our students, our staff and our property.”
Tringali did not file a nominating petition to seek re-election in November. His term on the school board is scheduled to end in December.
Gramiccioni said if Tringali is convicted of aggravated sexual assault, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison.