Teacher From Ocean County Had Sex With Student, Monmouth Prosecutor Says

A Monmouth Regional High School teacher who lives in Ocean County surrendered to authorities Wednesday after it was discovered he engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a student who was under the age of 18, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

Nicholas DePue, 29, of Whispering Oaks Way in Jackson, is charged with second degree counts of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was released after posting a $100,000 bond, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jamie Perri, who also ordered DePue have no contact with his victim and he is not to return to the scene of his crimes, said Charles Webster, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.

DePue’s listing in the staff directory and his class page on the Monmouth Regional website have been removed, but a cached version of the page says he taught honors biology at the high school, where he had been employed for two years. DePue has a biology degree from William Paterson University and had worked as a tutor for Ocean County College’s science and math departments through their Student Support Services. “I also taught martial arts, sports, and gymnastics for a gymnastics school in Manasquan,” he wrote on the page.

If convicted of sexual assault, DePue faces a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison, subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and parole supervision for life requiring a minimum of 15 years parole following his release from state prison, Webster said. If convicted of endangering the welfare of a child, DePue faces a sentence of five to 10 years in prison, also subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and parole supervision for life.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Danielle Zanzuccki. DePue is represented by William Cunningham of Brick.