Seventh suspect now in custody
By Charles W. Kim, Packet Media Group
SAYREVILLE — Seven juvenile members of the Sayreville Bombers high school football team are facing a myriad of criminal charges relating to alleged hazing incidents last month, officials announced Friday night.
In a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Spokesman Jim O’Neill said that six of the seven players were taken into custody on Friday and the seventh suspect surrendered to police on Saturday.
According to the release, the juveniles were taken into custody on charges of juvenile delinquency arising from the attacks upon four victims in four separate incidents at Sayreville War Memorial High School.
The juveniles ranged in age from 15 to 17 years old, and are being detained by law enforcement authorities pending a Family Court decision on whether the youths will be held at a detention facility pending a court hearing, or will be released to the custody of their parents or guardians pending the hearing, according to the release.
Because the defendants are juveniles, the complaints against them are not public records and will not be released and their identities are also being withheld due to their ages, according to the release.
The charges stem from an investigation into alleged hazing within the football program that started last week after a victim came forward to school officials, Sayreville Superintendent Richard Labee said during a press conference last week.
Labbe said the revelations of "significant and serious" inappropriate conduct within the program caused him to first cancel last week’s game against South Brunswick and then to cancel the rest of the season for the Bombers.
Mr. Labbe also told the press assembled at the news conference that he signed an agreement with the prosecutor not to further investigate the allegations while law enforcement officials conducted their own, independent investigation.
Mr. Labbe referred all specific questions to Sayreville Police and the county prosecutor.
In the release Friday night, Mr. O’Neill said that three of the juvenile defendants are charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, conspiracy to commit aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint, and hazing for engaging in an act of sexual penetration upon one of the juvenile victims.
One of those juvenile defendants and the remaining four juvenile defendants were charged with various counts including aggravated assault, conspiracy, aggravated criminal sexual contact, hazing and riot by participating in the attack of the remaining victims, according to the release.
The complaints charge that on various dates between Sept. 19-29, one or more of the juvenile defendants either held the victims against their will, while other juvenile defendants improperly touched the juvenile victims in a sexual manner.
It also is charged that in one instance, one of the juvenile victims was kicked during an attack, Mr. O’Neill said in the release.
He said the defendants will be required to appear before a Superior Court Judge in Family Court, but the hearing date has not been determined.
He also said that Juvenile hearings are not open to the public, and no other court hearings have been scheduled.