(TRENTON) –To expand New Jersey’s jurisdiction to prosecute crimes of child endangerment occurring outside of the state, a measure sponsored by Assembly Democrats Gordon Johnson, Gary Schaer, Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Joann Downey was advanced by the full Assembly on Thursday 75-0.
The legislation was prompted by the New Jersey Supreme Court case State v. Sumulikoski, which determined that our state courts do not have jurisdiction to prosecute school officials from Bergen County – chaperones on a school trip to Germany where they allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with students.
“As a state, we have a responsibility to ensure that adults who assume the responsibility of caring for a child from New Jersey are held accountable,” said Johnson (D-Bergen). “This bill would make sure they are subject to prosecution if unlawful sexual conduct occurs, regardless of where this conduct took place.”
The bill (A-717) would expand New Jersey’s jurisdiction to prosecute crimes concerning endangering the welfare of a child in situations where a person having a legal duty, or the assumed responsibility, for the care of a child in New Jersey engages in sexual conduct with that child in a jurisdiction other than New Jersey.
In addition, the bill is intended to be consistent with the provisions of other state statutes concerning territorial jurisdiction in criminal cases. The statute provides that a person may be convicted in New Jersey if “the offense is based on a statute of this state which expressly prohibits conduct outside of the state, when the conduct bears a reasonable relation to an interest of this state.”
“Changing the language of this statute will make it clear that endangering the welfare of a child applies to sexual conduct that takes place within and outside of New Jersey under these circumstances,” said Schaer (D-Bergen, Passaic). “There should be no ambiguity about this.”
“If we send our children on a class trip, we want to know that the adults who assume responsibility for their care will be held accountable for their safety and well-being,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “This change would empower New Jersey to protect its children better.”
“There is no question that chaperones engaging in sexual conduct with students, whom they are charged with protecting, is patently wrong. To allow individuals who violate a trust and endanger our children to walk free because the State’s hands are tied is unacceptable,” Downey (D-Monmouth). “This bill would ensure this jurisdictional shield from prosecution does not occur again.”
The measure now heads to the Senate.