Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns, III and Chief of Detectives John J. Kuczynski announced that an investigation by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit has led to the arrest of Joel Herscap, 54, of Alpha, New Jersey.
According to Prosecutor Kearns, “The defendant is a civilian employee in the kitchen at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. State Corrections Officers discovered an inmate who was in possession of tobacco. The inmate stated she received it from the defendant in exchange for sexual favors. During the course of investigating the allegation, a second inmate victim was also identified.”
The defendant was charged with two counts of Official Misconduct 2nd degree, two counts of Sexual Assault 2nd degree, and one count of Criminal Sexual Contact 4th degree. Bail was set at $50,000 by the Honorable Michael O’Neill, J.S.C. and the defendant was lodged in the Somerset County Jail awaiting a first court appearance.”
The New Jersey Department of Corrections Special Investigation Division and the Town of Clinton Police Department assisted in the investigation.
The filing of a criminal complaint is merely a step in the criminal justice process. The defendant is presumed innocent until the matter is resolved in a court of law.
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010 or by going to www.crimestoppershunterdon.com, or text messaging “HCTIPS” plus your tip message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters can also download the free mobile app “Tipsubmit” and select Hunterdon County to submit anonymous tips via text messaging. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential.
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