By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Morris County announced that William Arnold, 53, of Wayne, has been charged with Aggravated Explicit Contact, Explicit Contact, Official Misconduct, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Criminal Explicit Contact.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll stated that in September 2025, the Pequannock Police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office were notified of allegedly inappropriate behavior by one of the school’s teachers.
According to Morris County officials, an investigation determined that on multiple occasions over the previous year, Arnold sexually assaulted the victim, who was 15 or 16 years old at the time.
The defendant is the victim's teacher and works at the school where the victim attends, MCPO officials say. He has been suspended by the school district.
As a result of the investigation, Arnold was charged on September 29, with one count of Aggravated Explicit Contact, a crime of the first degree, one count of Explicit Contact, a crime of the second degree, one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a crime of the second degree, one count of Official Misconduct, a crime of the second degree, and one count of Criminal Explicit Contact, a crime of the fourth degree, Morris County officials stated.
MCPO officials said that pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act, Arnold has been detained in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending future court proceedings.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no further information will be released at this time.