April 27, 2023

Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Daniel Plumacker of the Sayreville Police Department announced today that John Denuto, 46, of Spotswood pled guilty to Endangering the Welfare of a Child and other offenses on Friday, April 14, 2023.

Denuto, a former special education teacher at the Sayreville Middle School and former wrestling coach at numerous other schools and organizations who exploited his position as both a teacher and a wrestling coach to meet and abuse his victims was initially arrested on February 15, 2020. An investigation by the Sayreville Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined Denuto had criminal sexual contact with a juvenile and he possessed child sexual exploitive materials that he had created by filming and photographing the previous mentioned juvenile. Further investigation revealed Denuto was in possession of additional sexual exploitive material of unidentified individuals.

On April 22, 2021, Denuto was indicted on one count of first-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, one count of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, three counts of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, eight counts of third-degree Invasion of Privacy, six counts of third-degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, six counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact, two counts of third-degree Witness Tampering, and one count of third-degree Hindering His Own Apprehension.

On Friday April 14, 2023, Denuto pled before the Honorable Benjamin

S. Bucca, J.S.C., to one count of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, one count of third-degree Endangering and one count of fourth-degree Invasion of Privacy. He is subject to a sentence of seven years and will be on parole supervision for life and must register under Megan’s Law. Denuto is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Benjamin S. Bucca, J.S.C., on September 8, 2023.

Below is a list of schools, organizations, and clubs that the investigation revealed Denuto to be associated with:

Rhino’s Wrestling Club – Morganville

CJA Wrestling Club – East Brunswick

Pennsville High School – Pennsville

Raritan High School – Hazlet Township

Saint John Vianney – Holmdel

Sayreville Middle School – Sayreville

Sayreville High School – Sayreville

Middletown North High School – Middletown Township

Monroe High School – Monroe

Peddie High School – Hightstown

South Brunswick High School – South Brunswick Saint Joseph High School – Montvale

Union County College – Cranford

Camden Catholic High School – Cherry Hill Johnson High School – Clark

St. Thomas Aquinas High School (formerly Bishop Ahr HS) – Edison

Woodbridge High School – Woodbridge

7th & 8th Woodbridge Recreation Program – Woodbridge

7th & 8th Grade Old Bridge Recreation Program – Old Bridge Piscataway High School – Piscataway

Spotswood High School – Spotswood

Freehold Boro High School – Freehold Borough

In a separate prosecution, Denuto was adjudicated delinquent on May 20, 2022, for crimes which, if committed by an adult, would constitute two counts of first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault. Denuto was the subject of a dispositional hearing on October 21, 2022, which resulted in his commitment by the Honorable Deborah J. Venezia to the care and control of the Acting Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission for an aggregate term of four years.

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