South Toms River Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Child Was Foster Parent: Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The former head of the South Toms River Recreation Commission who has been charged with sexually assaulting a child who lived in his home, had served as a foster parent, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.

William Gleason, 68, is accused of sexually assaulting the child between 2015 and 2020, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Tuesday.

When the charges against Gleason surfaced on Monday, the prosecutor's office initially declined to comment on the investigation.

That changed, Billhimer said Tuesday, because of Gleason's position in the community.

"Although the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office does not typically issue press releases in matters such as this due to their sensitive nature and out of respect for the victim’s privacy, Gleason’s previous position as head of the South Toms River Recreation Commission, and perhaps more importantly his former role as a foster parent, necessitated this particular alert to the public," Billhimer said.

Anyone with information about the investigation or Gleason's conduct is urged to contact Detective Delaney Huber of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, ext. 3218, or Detective Timothy Meier of the South Toms River Police Department at 732-363-0200, ext. 112.

Gleason was removed from all of the positions he held in the borough by the South Toms River Borough Council on Monday night, borough attorney Christopher Dasti said Wednesday. That included his roles as head of the recreation commission, secretary on the Land Use Board, and member of the Community Emergency Response Team of the Office of Emergency Management. Gleason had received a stipend as a member of the Land Use Board but he was not an employee of the borough, Dasti said.

Billhimer said an investigation by the prosecutor's Special Victims Unit and South Toms River detectives led to the charges against Gleason being filed on Nov. 24; he turned himself in to South Toms River police on Nov. 25.

Gleason is being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River pending a detention hearing that is set for Thursday.

Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, and South Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau, for their combined assistance in connection with this investigation.