Ocean County Man Had Sex With 2nd Student, Prosecutor Says

A former Monmouth Regional High School teacher has been charged with having sexual contact with a second student, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said Friday.

Nicholas DePue, 29, of Whispering Oaks Way in Jackson, was charged in June with second-degree counts of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child after it was discovered he was carrying on a yearlong relationship with one of his students, said Charles Webster, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office. Further investigation led to the discovery of a second student-victim, Webster said.

As a result, DePue has been charged with additional counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. DePue had been free after posting $100,000 bail, but he is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $250,000 cash only bail, Webster said.

DePue also has been ordered to have no contact with his victims and he is not permitted to return to the scenes of his alleged crimes.

Last month, as a result of the original charges, DePue was fired from his job as a teacher at Monmouth Regional High School.

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.

DePue’s photograph was released by the prosecutor’s office to aid in identifying additional victims. Investigators are urging any additional victims to come forward by contacting Detective Carolina Moreno, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443, or Detective Joe Shuler, of the Tinton Falls Police Department at 732-542-3400, Webster said.

If convicted, each of the endangering the welfare of a child charges carries a state prison sentence of five to 10 years, subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and parole supervision for life requiring he serve a minimum of 15 years parole following his release from state prison, Webster said. The criminal sexual contact charge carries a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison, while the sexual assault charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison plus Megan’s Law and parole supervision for life, he said.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Danielle Zanzuccki.

DePue is represented by William Cunningham, Esq., of Brick Township.