A former special education teacher at Sayreville Middle School and former wrestling coach at Union County College has been indicted on multiple charges involving his criminal sexual contact with a minor who was known to him and the surreptitious filming of several adult victims.
On April 22, John M. Denuto, 44, of Spotswood, was indicted on four counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the first-, second-, and third-degree stemming from his filming and possession of child sexual exploitation material, as well as eight counts of invasion of privacy in the third-degree, six counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact in the third-degree, six counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth-degree, two counts of witness tampering in the third-degree, and one count of hindering his apprehension in the third-degree, according to information provided by Middlesex County Yolanda Ciccone and Chief John Zebrowski of the Sayreville Police Department.
Denuto was initially arrested on Feb. 15, 2020, following an investigation by the Sayreville Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office that determined Denuto had criminal sexual contact with a juvenile and possessed child sexual exploitive materials that he had created by filming and photographing the juvenile, according to the statement released on April 23.
Further investigation determined Denuto was allegedly in possession of additional child sexual exploitive material unrelated to the juvenile.
Denuto had likewise photographed seven other victims’ intimate parts without their knowledge, and inappropriately touched five of those victims, according to the allegations.
The investigation revealed that Denuto was associated with Rhino’s Wrestling Club in Morganville; CJA Wrestling Club in East Brunswick; Pennsville High School in Pennsville; Raritan High School in Hazlet; Saint John Vianney in Holmdel; Sayreville Middle School and Sayreville War Memorial High School in Sayreville; Middletown High School North in Middletown; Monroe High School in Monroe;
Peddie School in Hightstown; South Brunswick High School in South Brunswick; Saint Joseph High School in Montvale; Union County College in Cranford; Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill; Johnson High School in Clark; St. Thomas Aquinas High School (formerly Bishop Ahr High School) in Edison; Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge; 7th & 8th Woodbridge Recreation Program in Woodbridge; 7th & 8th Grade Old Bridge Recreation Program in Old Bridge;
Piscataway High School in Piscataway; Spotswood High School in Spotswood; and Freehold Boro High School in Freehold Borough.
The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information should contact Sgt. Daniel Ellmyer of the Sayreville Police Department at 732-727-4444, or Sgt. Julissa Alvarado of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3848.