A former New Jersey fire chief is facing criminal charges for allegedly forcing other firefighters into nonconsensual sex acts, according to state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
Robert Sinnott Jr., 52, was charged in Ocean County earlier this week with four counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of official misconduct, prosecutors said. The allegations stem from an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which looked into events that occurred between 2022 and 2023 while Sinnott was head of the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company in Toms River.
Investigators alleged that Sinnott used his role as a mentor and role model to create situations where he could be alone with his victims at his house in Toms River, at the firehouse, or at other locations. He then would handcuff or physically restrain them under the guise of “training,” and would force them to engage in acts of sexual contact, according to the attorney general. In some cases, he took photographs of the victims while they were restrained, prosecutors alleged.
Officials said Sinnott was arrested on Dec. 4 by a SWAT team in Cape Coral, Florida – where he now resides. Law enforcement officers also searched his home, his person and his car, and took him to Lee County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey.
Sinnott, who was also at one point a police officer in Island Heights, faces a possible sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a $150,000 fine if he’s convicted on the top charges.
His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
