Ocean City Police Sergeant Indicted On Sexual Assault Charges

OCEAN CITY, NJ — A suspended Ocean City police sergeant has been indicted by a Cape May County Grand Jury on charges that he sexually assaulted a minor, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

Tyrone Rolls, 51, of Marmora was indicted on one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault; two counts of second-degree official misconduct; one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child; and one count of third-degree aggravated assault of a domestic violence victim.

The indictment comes more than seven months after Roll's arrest in April. He was initially placed on administrative leave and is currently on suspension from the Ocean City Police Department.

He had been employed by the department since 1996. State pension records show his annual salary as an Ocean City officer was $129,364.

The charges in the indictment were the result of an investigation conducted by the CMCPO’s Special Victims Unit after it was reported that Rolls had a sexual relationship with a juvenile, officials said.

According to court documents obtained in April, a complaint was filed against Rolls in January when the victim came forward after an alleged domestic incident, in which she said Rolls knocked her to the ground during a fight.

According to the complaint, she reported staying down on the ground for fear he would hit her again. Rolls allegedly said to her, "Now you know what it is like to be hit."

The victim told police that the two began a sexual relationship when she was 15. The assaults allegedly began in 2016 before the start of the victim's sophomore year at Ocean City High School, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The victim is now 20 years old.

The complaint alleged that the assaults occurred at Rolls' home and in his patrol vehicle while he was both on- and off-duty. She said the relationship, which included intercourse, continued through her senior year of high school, including at his Marmora home, according to court documents.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who has additional information about the investigation can contact the CMCPO at 609-465-1135, or report it anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff's tip line at cmcsheriff.net.

A first-degree crime carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and third-degree crimes are subject to three to five years in state prison.

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