FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County judge sentenced Julie Rizzitello, a Brick Township resident and former Wall Township High School teacher, to a decade in state prison after finding she used her position of trust to groom and sexually assault two students.
Rizzitello, 37, listened to Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O’Malley as the court detailed what it called a years-long pattern of manipulation and abuse involving two former students at Wall Township High School.
Rizzitello pleaded guilty in August to two counts of second-degree sexual assault. One count involved a student between the ages of 16 and 17 over whom she had supervisory authority. The second involved a student between 18 and 22 while she was still serving as his teacher.
Each charge carried a maximum sentence of 10 years. The court imposed 10 years on each count, to run concurrently.
“This Is Grooming”
In a detailed explanation of her findings, Judge O’Malley said the case was not about a brief lapse in judgment but about calculated grooming.
“First, the defendant knew because of her position as a teacher, that these victims were particularly vulnerable,” O’Malley said. “She preyed on them in a safe place. She isolated them.”
According to testimony and the pre-sentence investigation report, the first victim, identified in court by his initials BS, was a freshman when the relationship began in 2017. The judge described how Rizzitello invited him to eat lunch alone in her classroom, complimented him, engaged him in personal conversations and gradually encouraged secrecy around their interactions.
At one point, the judge recounted, Rizzitello told the teenager she had dreamed about having sex with him.
“This is grooming,” O’Malley said. “It is traditional grooming that I see every week here in this courthouse. This is the behavior of a standard sexual predator. You’re no different.”
As the judge spoke, Rizzitello repeatedly shook her head and attempted to interrupt. O’Malley admonished her from the bench. “I don’t like to be interrupted,” the judge said. “And don’t do it.”
Later, when Rizzitello again shook her head in disagreement, the judge responded sharply: “Stop shaking your head… These are the facts.”
Pregnancy And Psychological Impact
The court spent significant time addressing the emotional impact on the first victim. Judge O’Malley referenced a section of the pre-sentence investigation report that she said stunned her.
“There’s a paragraph of the PSI that I had to read more than once,” she said, explaining that she put the file down before returning to it.
The judge described how, on the student’s birthday, Rizzitello encouraged him to have sex without protection. Weeks later, she told him she was pregnant. She later terminated the pregnancy and told him the timing aligned with their encounter.
“This is the psychological impact of a child who’s a student of yours,” O’Malley said. “Not only does he have to deal with the fact that he’s groomed throughout his entire high school years, that he was preyed upon by his teacher who he loved and trusted.
“That he was sexually abused by this teacher,” continued the judge. “But now he’s struggling to come to terms with the fact that this individual had an abortion and wasn’t comfortable with it. This is the psychological impact – the devastation.”
The relationship, according to the court record, extended beyond school grounds and included encounters at Rizzitello’s home, in a vehicle in a parking lot and at her family’s business during operating hours.
The Victim’s Statement
Assistant Prosecutor Keri-Leigh Schaefer read the victim impact statement from BS into the record. “I do not think Julie is evil,” he wrote. “But I do believe she needs serious mental help.”
He described keeping the relationship secret, experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, and dropping out of college because he could not concentrate. He said he struggles to form normal relationships and has difficulty trusting women his own age.
“No kid should have the feeling of sickening anxiety and panic attacks while just trying to get through school,” he wrote.
Judge O’Malley said she placed “heavy weight and special emphasis” on his words.
“He describes how he was falling in love,” the judge said. “He was a child.”
A Second Victim
The second victim, identified as CJ, was also a student at the high school. Although sexual intercourse occurred after he turned 18, the judge emphasized that grooming began earlier while he was still a minor.
“Make no mistake about it,” O’Malley said. “He was not an adult.”
The judge rejected the defense characterization of the relationship as based on affection. “Your relationship with CJ was not based on affection and love,” she said. “It was based on manipulation and control.”
O’Malley noted that after the first relationship ended, several years passed before Rizzitello became involved with the second victim.
“She did not recommit to a law-abiding life,” the judge said. “Rather, she found another victim.”
Defense Argument And Remorse
Defense attorney Mitchell Ansell asked the court to impose a five-year sentence, citing Rizzitello’s lack of prior criminal history, her participation in therapy and the hardship incarceration would cause her two young children.
“She knows she’s going to prison today,” Ansell said. “She’s going to be away from her two children for a long period of time.”
Rizzitello addressed the court, apologizing to her family, her friends and her children. She described therapy, church attendance and personal growth.
“I will never make a mistake again,” she said. “I will be right by my children forever.”
Judge O’Malley acknowledged her emotional delivery but noted a critical omission. “You didn’t mention once the names BS or CJ,” O’Malley said. “Not once did you mention the victims.”
“I believe that her remorse is genuine,” the judge continued. “But her remorse is misplaced. It’s for herself. It’s for her family. It’s for her kids.”
Sentence And Conditions
The court found multiple aggravating factors, including the vulnerability of the victims, the breach of trust, the risk of re-offense and the need for deterrence. Only slight weight was given to the absence of prior criminal convictions.
“This behavior took place for many years,” O’Malley said. “It demonstrates how intentional, methodical, deliberate, and indeed determined the defendant was.”
The judge also rejected the argument that incarceration would create excessive hardship for Rizzitello’s children. “Defendant brought this on herself,” O’Malley said.
Rizzitello was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison on each count, to run concurrently. The court determined she would serve her sentence in a regular state prison facility, not the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center.
In addition to incarceration, she must register under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life. The court also entered permanent sexual assault restraining orders prohibiting any contact with either victim.
She received 17 days of jail credit and was advised of her right to appeal.
