ROXBURY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Officer in Charge Martin McParland, Jr., of the Rockaway Township Police Department, announce that Roger Schneider, 55, residing at 11 Notch Road, Rockaway Township, has been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1), a crime of the 2nd degree, and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3a, a crime of the 3rd degree. Schneider is the Assistant Principal at Roxbury High School.
During the week of April 20, 2015, the alleged victim (referred to by the fictitious initials X.X.) disclosed to a third person that Schneider had sexually touched X.X. Schneider was subsequently interviewed on or about April 24, 2015, and admitted committing acts of contact upon X.X.’s intimate parts. During a subsequent interview by law enforcement, X.X. disclosed acts of sexual contact between Schneider’s hand and X.X.’s genitals. X.X. resided part time at the defendant’s home between the dates of August of 2013 and January of 2015. The defendant was acting in loco parentis to the victim with X.X.’s parents’ consent. X.X. was 15 years old at the time of the alleged incidents. X.X. is not a student in the Roxbury school district.
On April 24, 2015, the Honorable Gerard Smith, J.M.C., authorized charges against Schneider for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1), a crime of the 2rd degree, and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3a, a crime of the 3rd degree. Schneider was arrested by the Rockaway Police Department on April 25, 2015, and bail was set at $100,000 with no 10% option, no contact with the victim, and surrender of any firearms.
The investigation is active and ongoing. No other information is being released at this time.
Anyone with information relating to these charges or any similar conduct by this defendant is urged to contact Detective Bruce LaFera of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit at 973 285-6200.
Prosecutor Knapp would like to thank the Rockaway Township Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
