TRENTON — A former Ocean County fire chief and retired police officer has been indicted on additional charges accusing him of using his authority to force unwanted sexual contact on subordinates and colleagues, state officials announced.
A state grand jury returned a nine-count indictment against Robert M. Sinnott Jr., 53, on Sept. 2, according to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
Sinnott previously served as chief of the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company in Toms River and as an Island Heights police officer.
Authorities initially charged Sinnott with four counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of second-degree official misconduct. An ongoing investigation allegedly uncovered further criminal conduct, resulting in new counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, second-degree official misconduct and second-degree pattern of official misconduct.
The nine charges involve allegations connected to 11 victims, officials said.
Investigators allege Sinnott targeted firefighters who viewed him as a mentor while he held supervisory positions at the Silverton fire company. The indictment also accuses him of similar conduct while serving with the Island Heights Police Department.
Over a period of several years, Sinnott allegedly arranged to be alone with victims at locations that included the firehouse and his Toms River home. Authorities said he sometimes handcuffed victims under the guise of conducting police training or restrained them in other ways before forcing sexual contact.
“The defendant held positions of trust and power within the communities he served and among his coworkers and subordinates in government,” Davenport said. “But, as alleged in the indictment, he abused that trust again and again.”
The Cape Coral Police SWAT Team arrested Sinnott in Florida on Dec. 4, 2025, with assistance from state investigators. Authorities executed search warrants involving his home, vehicle and person before he was extradited to New Jersey.
Anyone with information about the allegations is asked to call the state’s corruption tip line at 1-844-674-2847 or Detective Brandon Mastropasqua at 609-960-3768.
A second-degree conviction carries a possible sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Fourth-degree offenses are punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Deputy attorneys general Diana Bibb and Laura Croce are prosecuting the case for the OPIA Corruption Bureau. Sinnott is represented by Mitchell J. Ansell of Ocean Township.
The charges are accusations. Sinnott is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
