NJ teacher, basketball coach accused of child’s repeated sexual assault

⭕ NJ man charged with sex assault of child

⭕ Defendant was teacher, coach at the time

⭕ Assaults happened over several years, police say

A 51-year-old former teacher and basketball coach has been accused of sexually assaulting a child, repeatedly, over a five year span.

Darrell R. Moody, of Plainfield, was arrested in Trenton on Monday, Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa Hilton said.

Moody was charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault.

He also faced two counts each of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

In May, Hilton said the victim contacted Trenton police to report incidents of sexual assault that began in 2014 when the student was in middle school.

A joint investigation involving the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit found the sexual abuse happened through 2019, when the juvenile was then in high school.

Moody was teaching fifth grade at Parker Elementary School and coaching basketball at Joyce Kilmer Middle School during that time span.

Anyone with potential information on the active investigation was asked to contact the Mercer County Prosecutor Office’s SVU at 609-989-6568 or by emailing mcposvu@mercercounty.org.

On June 27, 2023, South Plainfield Police charged Moody with second-degree counts of endangering the welfare of a child and solicitation of a minor for prostitution, in what Hilton said was “an unrelated incident.”

Requests to Trenton officials about Moody’s employment history with the city school district were not immediately answered on Tuesday.

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