Crime & Safety
Middle Township High School Teacher Charged With Child Sexual Assault
Joseph Towns, 34, of North Cape May faces several charges for alleged sexual crimes against a student while holding power over them due to his position as an English teacher.
A Middle Township High School teacher has been charged with child sexual assault, Cape May County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor and Middle Township Police Chief Christopher Leusner announced on Tuesday.
Joseph Towns, 34, of North Cape May, was charged with second degree sexual assault, second degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth degree criminal sexual contact, second degree official misconduct, third degree possession of child pornography and third degree obscenity of a person under 18.
He allegedly committed these crimes against a Middle Township High School student from October of 2012 through October of 2013, while he had supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim due to his occupation as an English teacher at the school.
Towns surrendered at the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, at which time he was place in custody. He was processed and lodged in Cape May County Correctional Facility where he posted $175,000 cash/bond bail, no 10 percent.
Taylor advises that persons convicted of second-degree crime are subject to a term of imprisonment of 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison; persons convicted of a third-degree crime are subject to a term of imprisonment of 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison.
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