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| Sex assaults on 2 inmates alleged; jail officer arrested |
| By Asbury Park Press |
| Published: 07/18/2005 |
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A veteran Ocean County (N.J.) corrections officer - charged and acquitted 10 years ago of sexually assaulting an estranged girlfriend - was arrested last Wednesday night and charged with sexually assaulting two female prisoners at the county jail. Richard O. Peterson Jr., 49, was arrested at his Woodland Road home in Lacey's Forked River section and charged with two counts each of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and official misconduct, Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said in a prepared statement. In the 1995 case, the jury deadlocked on some of the charges, and Peterson was given a one-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to violating a restraining order, a disorderly persons offense, according to court records. He was suspended without pay at his indictment in March 1995 but later reinstated. The new charges relate to allegations by two inmates, ages 49 and 42, Kelaher said. Executive Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser said the older victim brought an allegation of sexual assault to the attention of jail personnel within the past few days, launching an investigation by internal affairs staff at the jail and investigators with the prosecutor's sex crimes unit. The alleged victim told authorities she had heard of previous sexual assaults by Peterson against another female inmate, Gasser said. Investigators were able to corroborate the allegations by matching records of who was working at the specific locations and at the dates and times the victims said the assaults took place, Gasser said. He added he did not know of any witnesses. Gasser said he did not know on what charges the female inmates - whose names were not made public - were being held. Complaints signed against Peterson allege that he sexually assaulted and molested one woman between May 1 and May 31 and the second woman last Tuesday. Peterson's bail was set at $200,000, with no option to gain release by posting 10 percent of that amount. Peterson was initially held at the Ocean County Jail, but was being transferred last Thursday to the Atlantic County Jail so that he would not have to be supervised by his co-workers, Gasser said. Peterson has worked at the jail for 22 1/2 years, Gasser said. |
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