Toms River Man Gets 30 Years For Sex Assaults On 2 Children

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River man has been sentenced to spend 30 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting two children over a five-year period starting in 2005, the Ocean County prosecutor's office announced Tuesday.

William J. Herflicker III, 57, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison on each of two counts of aggravated sexual assault by Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski in the case. Herflicker was found guilty on those and other charges on Jan. 22, following a two-week trial.

Gizinski ordered the sentences to run consecutively. They also are subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Herflicker will have to serve a minimum of 25-1/2 years — 85 percent of the sentence — before he is eligible for parole.

"I would like to take this opportunity to commend the courage exhibited by the victims in this case," Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. "Their bravery in coming forward and cooperating with law enforcement over these last several years in order to bring Herflicker to justice cannot be overemphasized. It is truly awe-inspiring, and I am grateful for their heroism."

Herflicker, who was indicted in June 2014, also was convicted of two additional counts of aggravated sexual assault; four counts of sexual assault; two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and two counts of criminal sexual contact, Billhimer's office said. One of the victims was under 13 at the time of the assaults, the other was under 16; Herflicker had responsibility for the children, according to charges. Herflicker was sentenced to 15 years each on the additional aggravated sexual assault charges, and to seven years for each count of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, plus 18 months on the count of criminal sexual contact. Gizinski ordered those sentences to run concurrently. He also will have to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law.

Herflicker had worked in the Toms River Regional School District in the information technology department but was retired at the time of his arrest. Authorities determined he had no contact with children during his employment in the district.

"Everyone involved in this case did an outstanding job to ensure that justice was achieved," Billhimer said. "This defendant’s conviction and sentence to state prison for the next 30 years – practically a life sentence given his age – are especially rewarding when one considers who his victims were at the time of these horrendous crimes: young and innocent children."

"He literally robbed those kids of their youth and innocence, and as a consequence will pay a heavy price in this life and the next," Billhimer said.

Billhimer praised Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater, who tried the case; the Special Victims Unit and Victim Witness Advocacy Unit of the prosecutor's office, and the Toms River Township Police Department for their efforts that led to Herflicker’s conviction and lengthy state prison sentence.

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