NEW BRUNSWICK – A former Sayreville teacher who coached wrestling in over 20 schools and groups across New Jersey is set to be sentenced next week for sexual misconduct with adolescents.
John Denuto of Spotswood was scheduled to be sentenced last Friday, but the hearing was postponed owing to concerns made by Denuto’s new attorney.
During the brief court appearance before Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Thomas Abode, Nicole Atlak, Denuto’s attorney, expressed some reservations about her client’s evaluation.
The latest postponement comes after Denuto’s sentencing date was extended multiple times since last fall. Recent changes in the sentencing date may be related to Denuto’s change of attorneys. Wolodymyr Tyshcenko of the Fairfield-based Caruso Smith Picini legal firm represented Denuto. According to his obituary, Tyshchenko, 48, passed away unexpectedly on February 20, 2024. Aflak works for the same legal firm.
In April 2023, Denuto, a former Sayreville Middle School special education teacher, pled guilty to one crime of second-degree endangering a child’s welfare, one count of third-degree endangerment, and one count of fourth-degree breach of privacy. As part of the plea deal, Denuto is scheduled to serve seven years in state prison, be subject to life parole supervision, and register as a Megan’s Law sex offender.
Denuto was arrested in February 2020 after an investigation revealed that he had criminal sexual contact with a minor and possessed sexually exploitative materials generated by filming and photographing the youngster.
Court filings stated that Denuto assaulted a former middle school student during private coaching classes at his house. The sexual attacks occurred on more than one occasion while the student was between the ages of 13 and 15.
An investigation revealed that Denuto possessed further child sexual exploitive materials unconnected to the juvenile, as well as photographing seven other victims’ private parts without their consent and inappropriately touching five of those victims, according to officials.
Denuto was fired as Union County College’s head wrestling coach after his arrest.
Officials discovered that Denuto reportedly sexually abused a former student in 2016 while living at the home of a Sayreville Board of Education member.
Court filings suggest that nude videos of one of the victims were discovered on Denuto’s cellphone, which was inspected after a warrant was issued.
Denuto was accused in April 2021 on four counts of harming a child’s welfare by filming and having child sexual exploitation material, as well as six counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact and six counts of criminal sexual contact. In addition, he was charged with eight charges of invasion of privacy, two counts of witness tampering, and one case of impeding his arrest.
Denuto had been associated with the Rhino’s Wrestling Club in Morganville, CJA Wrestling Club in East Brunswick, Sayreville Middle School, The Peddie School in Hightstown, Union County College, Woodbridge, and Old Bridge recreation programs, as well as Pennsville, Raritan, St. John Vianney, Sayreville, Middletown North, Monroe, South Brunswick Saint Joseph (Montvale), Camden Catholic, Arthur L. Johnson, St. Thomas Aquinas, Woodbridge, Piscataway, Spotswood, and Freehold Bor