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A Morris County corrections officer who is charged with forcing a defendant into a sex act while supervising him on a manual labor program allegedly confessed his misconduct to authorities and told the victim he practices a “swinger” lifestyle.
Now-suspended jail Officer Lon Sainato, 53, of Whippany, was charged Sunday with official misconduct and sexual assault by allegedly forcing a 30-year-old man into a sex act on Feb. 22 at the Cedar Knolls Fire House in Hanover.
On that date, Sainato was supervising people who were court-ordered to serve jail sentences on the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s Labor Assistance Program, a work-in-lieu of jail program. The victim was fulfilling his fourth SLAP session on Feb. 22 at the fire house, when an officer he knew as “Lonnie” started engaging him in a sexual conversation and told him he made a deal with his girlfriend that required him to have sex with a man, according to the arrest warrant on Sainato.
The victim told authorities on Feb. 23 that he repeatedly told Sainato he didn’t want to participate in any sex acts, but that he didn’t run away or strike the officer because he feared he would be shot or charged with assaulting the officer.
Sainato allegedly took pictures of the sex act on his cellular telephone. After the victim reported the incident, he wore a body microphone on March 1, and had a conversation with the officer at his fifth SLAP session about his concerns about the cell pictures.
“Sainato assured him that ‘what happened last week never happened,’” according to the affidavit.
In an interview with a prosecutor’s office detective on March 1, Sainato admitted performing a sex act on the victim on Feb. 22 at the Cedar Knolls Fire House while supervising his SLAP detail, the affidavit said.
Sainato is being held on $250,000 bail in the Sussex County jail, and a date for his bail review was not immediately available.
Documents: Accused jail officer told victim he's a 'swinger,' took pix | Daily Record | Daily Record
Now-suspended jail Officer Lon Sainato, 53, of Whippany, was charged Sunday with official misconduct and sexual assault by allegedly forcing a 30-year-old man into a sex act on Feb. 22 at the Cedar Knolls Fire House in Hanover.
On that date, Sainato was supervising people who were court-ordered to serve jail sentences on the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s Labor Assistance Program, a work-in-lieu of jail program. The victim was fulfilling his fourth SLAP session on Feb. 22 at the fire house, when an officer he knew as “Lonnie” started engaging him in a sexual conversation and told him he made a deal with his girlfriend that required him to have sex with a man, according to the arrest warrant on Sainato.
The victim told authorities on Feb. 23 that he repeatedly told Sainato he didn’t want to participate in any sex acts, but that he didn’t run away or strike the officer because he feared he would be shot or charged with assaulting the officer.
Sainato allegedly took pictures of the sex act on his cellular telephone. After the victim reported the incident, he wore a body microphone on March 1, and had a conversation with the officer at his fifth SLAP session about his concerns about the cell pictures.
“Sainato assured him that ‘what happened last week never happened,’” according to the affidavit.
In an interview with a prosecutor’s office detective on March 1, Sainato admitted performing a sex act on the victim on Feb. 22 at the Cedar Knolls Fire House while supervising his SLAP detail, the affidavit said.
Sainato is being held on $250,000 bail in the Sussex County jail, and a date for his bail review was not immediately available.
Documents: Accused jail officer told victim he's a 'swinger,' took pix | Daily Record | Daily Record
