What to Know
- A veteran NJ cop and youth sports director already accused of sexually assaulting children now faces additional child sex crime charges
- Edward Giles, a sergeant with the East Orange Police Department and youth football director of the town's police league, faces 7 new charges
- The new accusations include recording a child in a prohibited sex act and photographing or videotaping a child without their knowledge
A veteran New Jersey cop and Police Athletic League director already accused of sexually assaulting multiple children he was coaching now faces additional child sex crime charges, prosecutor's announced Wednesday.
Edward Giles, a sergeant with the East Orange Police Department and youth football director of the town's police league, was charged with a total of seven new counts of sex crimes against children.
The new accusations include four counts of photographing or videotaping a child in a prohibited sex act, and three counts of photographing or videotaping a child without their knowledge.
The 59-year-old who served on the department for 30 years was already facing a slew of more than a dozen charges, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on October 16. Those charges include aggravated sexual assault of a child, child endangerment and other sexual offenses against children.
Giles was most recently assigned to work as a community resource officer.
“This defendant took advantage of his position of trust in the community as a means to victimize children,” Acting Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo said after the initial charges were released. “We believe that there are likely additional victims yet to be identified, and we are urging anyone with information to come forward and help bring him to justice.”
Local
The two purported victims alleged the sexual assaults occurred in separate spans between 1998 and 2003, starting when one boy was 11 and the other was 12.
Authorities said the assaults allegedly happened at Giles' home on West Fourth Avenue in Roselle. He was arrested at his home during the morning of October 11.
When officers searched the home, they discovered a number of electronic devices. A forensic examination into these devices revealed recordings were done between April 2018 and October 2019, with victims between the ages of 13 and 15 years old. These recordings led to the additional charges.
The digraced cop was also a foster father, with his latest foster son being removed from the home after the arrest last week.
The Union County Crime Stoppers are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to any additional indictments. Tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477).
Giles is next scheduled to appear in court on October 24, where prosecutors will request he remain behind bars. Attorney information for Giles was not immediately available.
