Teacher charged in sexual assault of NJ high school student

🔴 A sexual relationship involving a teacher was reported via email, officials said

🔴 The student involved has since graduated

🔴 Pinto also coached girls' field hockey and lacrosse

RARITAN BOROUGH – A former high school teacher was charged with having sexual relations with a student after an email was sent anonymously to law enforcement about the relationship.'

Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said his office's Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit received an email in October about an inappropriate relationship between a student and Lydia Pinto, 38, of Newton, Pennsylvania. The email claimed their relationship had turned sexual when the teen was between the ages of 14 to 15 and continued until the victim’s senior year of high school.

Detectives interviewed the victim, who is now an adult, in late October, McDonald said. They said the sexual conduct took place in Raritan Borough, according to McDonald. The prosecutor did not disclose the gender of the victim or a specific location within the borough.

Students from Raritan Borough attend Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School which is located in Bridgewater Township.

Pinto was charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault. She was taken into custody without incident in Franklin Township on Nov. 8. and is being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.

McDonald asked anyone with information about Pinto and other possible assaults should call the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Raritan Borough Police Department at 908-725-6200.

Active in student activities

Tap Into The Breeze reported Pinto was listed in the school's directory as of Friday but was gone by Sunday.

A post on the district's Facebook page said Pinto was part of one of BRRHS' driver's education teachers who brought an energetic, interactive program called ThinkFast to the school in March.  It teaches teens about distracted driving, impaired driving and the state's graduated driving licensing program.

MyCentralJersey.com reported Pinto also coached girls' lacrosse and field hockey at BRRHS. Several other news articles and photos also identify Pinto as a coach.

Payroll records show Pinto joined the BRRHS Pension and Annuity Fund in 2008 and earned a salary of $71,658 as of Dec. 2021.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom