A substitute elementary school teacher in the Rockaway Township school district faces sexual assault charges after being arrested on Thursday.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll announced Friday that Joseph Derose Jr., 27, of Rockaway Township, was arrested on sexual assault and related charges.
Derose serves as a substitute teacher at Catherine A. Dwyer Elementary School in Rockaway Township.
Derose allegedly had a sexual relationship with the victim from May 2021 through January 2022, while the victim was 16, the prosecutor said. During that time, Derose was the victim’s baseball coach, Carroll said.
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Carroll said the alleged assaults took place at Derose’s home, the victim’s residence, Oak Meadows Field and Fitness Factory Gym.
After his arrest, Derose was taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility.
The district superintendent, Richard Corbett, sent a letter to parents alerting them that a staff member had been arrested and that district officials were cooperating with authorities.
Corbett did not identify Derose but said the staff member doesn’t have access to the district.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rockaway Township NJ sexual assault: substitute teacher faces charges