2 New Victims Come Forward, South Jersey Educator Held Until Trial: Officials

HAMILTON TWP., NJ — New charges have been filed against the former Hamilton Township School District employee accused of sexually assaulting a child, according to the police department.

Two new victims have been identified, Hamilton police said. These children are ages 11 and 12, along with the initial child under the age of 13 that authorities say Darnell Williams, 34, sexually touched. Read more: South Jersey School Employee Sexually Assaulted Child: Prosecutor

In a detention hearing Monday, Assistant Prosecutor Jasmine Ostrow said these two victims came forward within hours of Williams' charges being announced in August. At the end of the hearing, Williams was ordered to remain jailed until trial.

Williams has now been charged with two counts of the following: second-degree sexual assault, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by sexual conduct and second-degree official misconduct.

The investigation started this past February, when it was alleged that Williams drove a 7-year-old girl to a school function, took her to McDonald's to buy food and then drove her back to a hotel where she was living, Ostrow said. He drove to the parking lot of the hotel, but the opposite side of where she was staying, Ostrow said.

Williams then turned off the lights in his car and stayed inside a few minutes before turning them back on and driving to where she was staying, Ostrow said. She added that this is all confirmed by security footage.

The child told investigators that she sat in Williams' lap in the car and he assaulted her, Ostrow said.

In another incident, an 11-year-old said that Williams removed her from her classroom during school hours and took her to his room, where he similarly assaulted her on his lap, Ostrow said. That was in October 2023.

The third dates back to when Williams was about to begin his employment in Hamilton Township in August 2022, Ostrow said. The 12-year-old and her family were familiar with Williams because he had been working for the Stafford Township School District. Her mother asked Williams to watch the child.

Williams took the girl to the school he was about to begin working for, introduced her to others as his goddaughter and took her into a closed room to assault her, Ostrow said.

"What we're seeing now is a distinct pattern of behavior that appears to be ongoing," Ostrow said. She noted that the three victims all shared similar reports but do not know each other.

Williams' attorney, Kerlin Hyppolite, said that he had never received as many character letters as he did for Williams. He argued that Williams had no criminal history and should be released with monitoring and no contact with minors.

The judge disagreed and ruled that Williams remained detained.

Williams worked as a supervisor of special projects at Hamilton Township School District; he was placed on leave when the investigation began and then fired, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

"The Township of Hamilton Police Department remains committed to a full and thorough investigation and continues to work closely with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from Stafford Township Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office," police said.

He was once named a "Digital Innovator" by NJ PBS, where he recorded educational videos.

Williams will appear in court again on Oct. 24 for a preindictment conference.