NJ Cop Sentenced Up To 3 Years For Sex With Prisoner
Porcus Ubiquitous
Former cop sentenced for misconduct
By CAROL COMEGNO
Courier-Post Staff
MOUNT HOLLY
A former Edgewater Park policeman received up to three years in state
prison Friday for having sex with a female inmate in his custody.
Burlington County sheriff's officers escorted Jose Torres, 25, to jail
after the sentencing by Superior Court Judge Thomas Smith Jr. Torres
pleaded guilty July 12 to misconduct in office. In exchange for his
plea, a sexual assault charge against him was dismissed.
Executive assistant Burlington County prosecutor James Gerrow, who
once taught Torres at the police academy, said it was painful to seek
jail time for a police officer and someone with so much ability. Even
Smith said it was one of his most difficult sentencing cases. Smith
said he reduced Torres' expected sentence from four to three years
because of 52 letters of support received for the defendant.
"This is not an easy sentence because he appears to be an individual
who made a difference to his community ... but this was a serious
breach of the public trust and there is a need for deterrence by
others," the judge said.
Smith recommended Torres be admitted into the new Intensive
Supervision Program. That program allows mainly first-time offenders
to leave jail earlier under strict monitoring. In Torres' case, it
would allow him to leave jail in less than nine months. Without the
program, Torres would be required to serve at least nine months in
jail
before seeking parole.
Gerrow said assaulting a woman under police care placed a "tarnish on
the badge of law enforcement" and robbed the victim of her dignity.
However, he praised Torres for admitting guilt and avoiding a trial
that would have been difficult and embarrassing for the victim.
Torres admitted having sex with a female prisoner inside a police van
on June 13. He had been transporting the inmate from a municipal court
hearing to the women's section of the county jail in Pemberton
Township. After the woman reported the incident the next day, Torres
confessed and agreed to forfeit the police job he had held for two
years.
The judge said he was swayed to reduce the jail term by the
defendant's community contributions and the letters from Torres' wife,
other family members, students at his karate school, a police chief
and a school superintendent.
Torres, who runs the Team Torres Karate School in Edgewater Park,
expressed remorse and said he must deal with his turmoil.
Defense lawyer Timothy Quinlan had sought probation, which the judge
denied. Quinlan called Torres' act a human weakness.
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Reach Carol Comegno at (609) 267-9486 or e-mail