A wrestling coach who law enforcement authorities say has ties to four high schools and one wrestling club in Monmouth County is facing criminal charges.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Sayreville Police Chief John Zebrowski announced that a former special education teacher at the Sayreville Middle School who is a former wrestling coach at Union County College has been indicted on multiple charges involving his alleged criminal sexual contact with a minor who was known to him and the surreptitious filming of several adults, according to an April 22 press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
On April 22, John M. Denuto, 44, of Spotswood, was indicted on four counts of endangering the welfare of a child stemming from his alleged filming and possession of child sexual
exploitation material; eight counts of invasion of privacy; six counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact; six counts of criminal sexual contact; two counts of witness tampering; and one count of hindering his apprehension, according to the press release.
Denuto was initially arrested on Feb. 15, 2020 after an investigation conducted by the Sayreville Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined he allegedly had criminal sexual contact with a juvenile and possessed child sexual exploitive materials he had created by filming and photographing the juvenile, according to the press release.
Further investigation determined Denuto was in possession of additional child sexual exploitive material unrelated to the juvenile.
And, Denuto had allegedly photographed seven other individuals’ intimate parts without their knowledge, and inappropriately touched five of those individuals, according to the press release.
The investigation revealed Denuto was associated with the following Monmouth County schools, organizations and clubs: Rhino’s Wrestling Club, Morganville; Raritan High School, Hazlet; Saint John Vianney High School, Holmdel; Middletown North High School, Middletown; and Freehold High School, Freehold Borough.
The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information is asked to 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.
