What to Know
- Ex-NJ child welfare worker accused of extorting sex from women he was supervising during court-ordered child visits pleaded guilty
- Lamont King, 41, pleaded guilty Monday to a second-degree charge of conspiracy to commit a pattern of official misconduct
- Sentencing for King is scheduled for Nov. 16
A former New Jersey assistant family services worker accused of extorting sex from two women he was responsible for supervising during court-ordered child visits pleaded guilty to official misconduct, according to the state’s attorney general.
Lamont King, 41, pleaded guilty Monday to a second-degree charge of conspiracy to commit a pattern of official misconduct.
King, from Trenton, worked in the Department of Children and Families, Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) where his duties included the transportation of clients, both adults and children, to and from court-scheduled visits and supervising those visits. It was in this position that King, most recently a telemarketer, was also tasked with writing reports and making recommendations to the department and the court.
Prosecutors say that King used his position to pressure two DCPP clients to have sexual relations on multiple occasions in 2015 and 2016. Once his alleged behavior was discovered, he was suspended without pay and terminated by the department.
The Code of Ethics of the Department of Children and Families, to which all employees must adhere, prohibits department employees from establishing any improper relationship with a person who is being supervised or served as a client of the department.
According to prosecutors, the Department of Children and Family cooperated in the investigation.
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“The manner in which King pressured his victims into sexual relations by exploiting his authority and playing on their fears regarding their children was corrupt and deplorable,” Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.
Col. Patrick Callahan, acting superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, shared similar sentiments: “King abused his position as a public employee by preying on victims, using his authority to coerce them into sexual acts while they were vulnerable,” adding “that we will not tolerate individuals that act unethically in positions of public trust.”
Under the plea deal, the state will recommend that King be sentenced to three years in state prison. Additionally, he will be permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey.
Sentencing for King is scheduled for Nov. 16.
King’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
