Former Paramus Catholic Staffers Could be Tried in Bergen on Sex Charges, State Rules

This post was reported and written by Paramus Patch Local Editor Alana Quartuccio.

Two former Paramus Catholic High School staffers accused of having sex with teenage students while they served as chaperones on a school trip to Europe can be tried in Bergen County even though the alleged acts took place overseas, according to a state court ruling Thursday. 

Arto Sopel of River Edge and Michael Sumilikowski of Elmwood Park were first arrested in April 2011 on charges that they engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct in with four teenage female students during a school trip to Europe. 

They were both indicted in December of the same year by a Bergen County Grand Jury which charged Sopel with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child and 12 counts of sexual assault and Sumilikoski with three counts of endangering a welfare of a child and three counts of sexual assault. 

According to NorthJersey.com, the defense attorneys for Sopel and Sumilikoski denied the two men did anything appropriate on the trip and also argued that the Bergen County prosecutors did not have jurisdiction to bring charges since the alleged acts took place in Europe. The attorneys say they plan to challenge the decision, the website stated. 

Bergen County Prosecutor John Mollinelli told the website that the decsion was an important one for parents whose children may go on school trips out of the country. Molinelli stated that "responsibilities of criminal law do not end at the borders of Bergen County or the United States."