By: Richard L. Smith
According to information released through court records, a former high-ranking fire official in Toms River who is already the subject of a civil lawsuit has now been formally charged in a related criminal case.
Robert Sinnott Jr., 52, a former police officer and senior member of the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, is accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct involving subordinates.
Court filings show he was charged Wednesday in Ocean County with four counts of criminal sexual contact along with a single count of official misconduct.
Authorities confirmed that Sinnott was taken into custody Thursday in Cape Coral, Florida, where he currently resides.
As of late Friday morning, he remained held on a fugitive-from-justice charge as New Jersey officials move forward with the case.
These criminal accusations follow a lawsuit filed in March by three volunteer firefighters in Toms River.
In that civil filing, the plaintiffs allege Sinnott sexually assaulted them during his time with the department and claim the fire company’s leadership failed to act on earlier warnings and allowed the behavior to continue.
The criminal charges now add another layer to the allegations as both the civil and criminal cases move ahead.