NJ corrections officer is charged with sexual assault of inmates

🚔 A New Jersey corrections officer is charged with sexually assaulting 2 inmates.
⚖️ Prosecutors say the assaults were reported while the officer was supervising inmates the weekend after Thanksgiving.
🏛️ The state corrections chief say the officer has been suspended without pay and reaffirm a zero-tolerance policy on abuse.

A state corrections officer has been accused of sexually assaulting two inmates while working the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Anthony Nelson was charged with two counts each of second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

The 37-year-old Piscataway resident was arrested on Monday, following an investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division.

Inmates reported assaults at Avenel prison facility

On Dec. 1, both inmates reported being assaulted by Nelson while he was supervising at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel.

The state prison facility houses repetitive, compulsive sex offenders.

Officer arrested and suspended without pay

Nelson has been suspended without pay, corrections officials confirmed to New Jersey 101.5 on Friday.

He has been a state corrections officer since March 2019 and has a base salary this year of about $91,000, according to state records.

Corrections commissioner cites zero-tolerance policy

Department of Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn shared a statement, touting a “zero-tolerance” policy against any form of abuse in the state’s prisons.

"Integrity is the foundation of law enforcement and when an officer violates their oath, they betray the very public they serve, and tarnish the tremendous work of our distinguished correctional police officers," Kuhn said.

"Through the diligent work of the New Jersey Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division, we are proving that no one is above the law, and stand firm in our zero-tolerance stance against any form of abuse within our facilities."

Case pending in Middlesex County Superior Court

Nelson was being held at Middlesex County jail, pending a preliminary hearing in Superior Court.

Anyone with potential information on Nelson’s case was urged to contact Detective Christopher Van Eerde or Colonna at 732-745-3300 or Investigator Sean Smith at 856-812-3310.

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Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff

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