Former New Jersey Volunteer Fire Chief and Retired Police Officer Criminally Charged Following Earlier Civil Suit
A former volunteer fire chief and retired police officer from Toms River has been criminally charged in connection with the same conduct that led to a civil suit filed earlier this year by three male volunteer firefighters.
The New Jersey Attorney General announced that Robert Sinnott Jr., formerly of the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1 and a retired police officer, was arrested in Florida on charges arising from incidents that allegedly occurred during what he described as training exercises. According to the Attorney General’s press release, Sinnott faces four counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree and one count of second-degree official misconduct.
Quoting from the NJ Attorney General’s press release on the matter:
- It is alleged that on various dates in 2022 and 2023, Sinnott created situations where he would be alone with the victims at his residence in Toms River, the firehouse, or other locations.
- He then allegedly handcuffed them under the guise of “training,” or otherwise physically restrained them, before forcing acts of sexual contact upon them.
- In some instances, the victims reported that Sinnott took photographs of them while they were restrained.
Sinnott was taken into custody by the Cape Coral Police SWAT team at his home in Florida. Search warrants were executed on his residence, vehicles, and electronic devices. He is being held in the Lee County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey.
These criminal charges follow the civil suit filed in April 2025, in which three firefighters accused Sinnott and others of sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct spanning several years, and alleged that department leadership failed to intervene. That lawsuit remains pending.
According to the Attorney General, the official-misconduct charge carries a potential penalty of five to ten years in state prison. The fourth-degree sexual-contact charges carry additional penalties under New Jersey law. Here is earlier coverage of the civil lawsuit.
