FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Raymond Worrall
PHONE: (201) 795-6400 Ext. 6737
EMAIL: rworrall@hcpo.org
TWITTER: @HCPOProsecutor
WEB: hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org
DATE: Friday, March 16, 2018
ADDITIONAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST TEACHER IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE
Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez released the following information:
On March 15, 2018, additional charges were filed against Sean Lora, a teacher at Franklin L. Williams Middle School #7 in Jersey City. The charges involve one additional student who came forward following Lora’s arrest on March 7, 2018.
Lora, age 42, of Bayonne was charged with one additional count of Sexual Assault by Contact in violation of N.J.S. 2C:14-2, a second-degree crime; and one additional count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S. 2C:24-4, a second-degree crime.
Lora is currently scheduled for his first appearance hearing on the new charges on Friday, March 16, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. A detention hearing for Lora is also scheduled at that time.
On March 7, 2018, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit arrested Lora after a student reported an incident involving sexual touching by Lora that had allegedly occurred in the classroom on March 6. After being alerted of the incident, the PS #7 Principal immediately contacted the Prosecutor’s SVU.
The subsequent investigation by SVU detectives led to additional victims from his classroom alleging similar past incidents. There were a total of seven students in Lora’s classroom on March 6 when the incident allegedly occurred.
Lora was originally charged with three counts of Sexual Assault by Contact in violation of N.J.S. 2C:14-2, a second-degree crime; one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact in violation of N.J.S. 2C:14-3, a third-degree crime; and five counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in violation of N.J.S. 2C:24-4, a second-degree crime. He is currently being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C.3.6(b)(6).