NJ corrections officer had sex with 15-year-old girl he met online, cops say

A state corrections officer has been charged with having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl.

Cole Boykin Jr., 34, of Bordentown was charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and prostitution after an encounter at an Edison hotel on Friday, authorities said.

An announcement from Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department didn't explain the prostitution charge or say whether Boykin is alleged to have paid the girl for sex.

Boykin "was employed" as a corrections officer at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, according to the announcement — it didn't specify whether he'd been dismissed from the job or if other action had been taken against him after the charges. According to state records, he is a senior corrections officer making a salary just under $62,000 per year..

Boykin is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick, waiting for bail to be set, authorities said.

The investigation began after the victim and a 16-year-old girl were stopped by police outside of an Edison hotel, and reported having a dispute with the corrections officer, the authorities said. Authorities did not disclose the 16-year-old's identity or say what connection she had to either Boykin or the alleged victim.

They said Boykin contacted the 15-year-old girl through a website, and arranged to meet with her at the hotel, authorities said. The dispute occured there, authorities said.

The prosecutor and police department said the investigation is continuing. They're asking anyone with information to contact Detective Robert Duffy or Detective Micahel Kohut at the Edison Police Department at 732-248-7400, or Detective Deon McCall or Detective Joseph Chesseri at the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3300.