MONMOUTH COUNTY – A longtime coach and teacher at Middletown High School North is facing a recommended sentence of five and a half years in state prison after admitting to sexually assaulting a student.
36-year-old Justin McGhee entered a guilty plea on November 17 before Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn. According to the Asbury Park Press, during the hearing, McGhee acknowledged engaging in sexual penetration with a victim between 16 and 18 years old.
Prosecutors said McGhee must forfeit his public employment under the terms of the plea agreement.
Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Sevan Biramian told the court the state will seek a five-and-a-half-year sentence. McGhee will also be required to register under Megan’s Law, remain under lifetime parole supervision, have no contact with the victim and stay away from Middletown High School North.
The incident occurred January 26 in Ocean Township, where McGhee lives, according to statements he made while being questioned by his attorney, Mitchell Ansell. Authorities arrested him later that month after learning of the alleged relationship.
Investigators with Middletown police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau determined the sexual relationship began in late 2024. McGhee was placed on administrative leave from the school district following his arrest.
McGhee had coached the girls basketball team at Middletown North since at least the 2020–2021 season and previously served as an assistant coach for the football program.
Sentencing is set for February 20, 2026.
