Nanny Charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child in Somerset County NJ
The Somerset County Prosecutor has announced that following an investigation in Bernards Township, they have arrested a women and charged her will endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree.
According to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson, the Bernards Township police department began investigating the incident upon learning that the Morristown Medical Center had just treated a nine (9) month-old infant for various injuries, including a broken right femur, distal fibula and fractured left ankle. During the investigation the police learned that the injuries occurred when the nanny, a thirty-eight year old female from Paterson, was watching the child. As a result, the Defendant was charged with endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree, and abuse and/or neglect of a child in the fourth degree. It is unclear at this point in time whether the charges are based on allegations that the Defendant physically abused the child or neglect of the child. Regardless of the reasoning, endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree is a very serious charge and one that tends to get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If convicted of this charge alone, the Defendant would be facing up to a decade behind bars and a fine up to $150,000. The Defendant is currently being detained the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing. During that hearing the prosecution will be seeking to convince the Judge that the Defendant must be detained in the Somerset County Jail, without bail, pending trial. For more information on detention hearings, please contact our Bridgewater office at 908-533-1064 and one of our attorneys would be glad to go over your options.
Endangering the welfare of a Child Charges in New Jersey
Endangering the welfare of a child is one of the most complex offenses under the entire criminal code. It not only encompassed physical abuse, sexual abuse, child pornography but neglect of a child as well. The governing statute in New Jersey for endangering the welfare of a child is NJSA 2C:24-4. The Defendant in the above referenced case was charged with endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree and not the third degree because she had assumed a “duty to care” for the child at the time of the incident. So because of that “duty”, the Defendant’s charges were elevated from a third degree to a second degree. That elevation now means, if convicted, the Defendant would have a presumption for incarceration. If they were third degree charges, the Defendant would obtain the benefit against incarceration. For more information on sex offenses in New Jersey, including endangering the welfare of a child charges, please click the link or contact our Bridgewater office at 908-533-1064.
Bernards Twp. NJ Endangering the Welfare of a Child Lawyer
Keith Oliver Criminal Law defends those accused of not only endangering the welfare of a child but criminal sexual contact, lewdness, aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault in towns throughout Somerset and Hunterdon County. Our attorney are well aware of what a conviction for anyone of these offense would do to someone’s life. As such we are dedicated to aggressively challenging the evidence presented against our clients in order to achieve a favorable outcome. We serve all of Somerset and Hunterdon County, including towns like Bernards, Flemington, Clinton, Hillsborough, Readington, Raritan, Franklin, Somerville, Watchung, Bound Brook and North Plainfield. To schedule a free consultation today, please contact our Bridgewater office.
For more information on this incident, please checkout nj.com’s article labeled, Nanny charged after infant’s leg, ankle is broken, prosecutor says.
