Sexual Assaults Occurred While Acting in His Capacity as Court-Appointed Officer
FREEHOLD – A New Jersey State Probation Officer assigned to the Monmouth Vicinage is now facing an additional charge of Official Misconduct in addition to the charges he faces for sexually assaulting of a woman he supervised on probation, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Henry C. Cirignano, 48, of Adams Street in Wall Township, is additionally charged with one count of second-degree Official Misconduct in connection with his sexual assault of a woman he was supervising on probation. Monday he was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree Sexual Assault; one count involves the coercion of his victim and the other count involves his supervisory capacity over his victim as her probation officer.
If convicted of Official Misconduct, Cirignano faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in a New Jersey state prison without parole and a lifetime ban on public employment in the State of New Jersey.
If convicted of Sexual Assault, Cirignano faces up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison on each count, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. He would also be subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and Parole Supervision for Life requiring a minimum of 15 years of parole supervision following his release from prison.
The investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office culminated with Cirignano’s arrest on Monday. He is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township. He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 before Ocean County Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels in the Ocean County Justice Complex.
Anyone with additional information about this crime is urged to contact Detective Jose Cruz at 1-800-533-7443.
Anyone who feels the need to remain anonymous but has information about a crime can contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers confidential telephone tip-line by calling 1-800-671-4400; can text “MONMOUTH” plus their tip to 274637; or, they can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com. Monmouth County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of criminals and fugitives.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fichter.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
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