Pet Rescue Exec Charged With Sexual Contact With Volunteer: Prosecutor

FREEHOLD, NJ — The executive director of a pet rescue business is accused of aggravated sexual contact with a teenage volunteer and providing alcohol to her and nicotine to another teen at the rescue in Freehold Township, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

Brian Becker, 31, of Manalapan, had a first appearance on Friday in Superior Court in Freehold on a charge of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact and three counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the prosecutor's office said.

Becker, the executive director of the Garden State Animal Rescue Center at Freehold Raceway Mall, was released with conditions that include weekly reporting, no contact with the victims, and no contact with anyone under the age of 18, the office said in a statement.

An investigation by the Freehold Township Police Department showed, authorities said, that since late last year Becker allegedly engaged in inappropriate touching over the clothing of a juvenile teenage female volunteer, while also supplying alcohol to that victim and nicotine products to a second juvenile victim, the prosecutor's statement said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Freehold Township Police Department Det. Christopher McCormack at 732-294-5134, the prosecutor's office said.