Photo Credit: Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced today that 61-year old, girl’s track coach Thomas Downes of Jersey City was charged on February 24 with criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child in an incident that happened February 12. According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, Downes, the head coach of a girls’ track team in Jersey City was charged after authorities say he touched a female athlete from another team inappropriately during a state track meet held in Toms River.
The NJSIAA indoor track and field sectional championships took place two weekends ago at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex involving schools from North Jersey Section 1, in Groups 1 and 4.
According to Prosecutor Billhimer, the girl told her coach that Downes touched her in an inappropriate manner during the track meet. Her coach then contacted Toms River Police.
Billhimer says detectives from the Toms River Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit investigated the incident and determined that Downes was the man who had touched the girl.
The Ocean County Prosecutor has not identified which Jersey City High School Downes was coaching for on the date of the alleged incident.
An article on the New Jersey City University website dated September 22, 2015 states, “Veteran high school coach Thomas Downes has been named the new head coach of the New Jersey City University men’s and women’s cross country programs. Additionally, he will serve as assistant coach of the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field programs, which will return to NJCU as a club team beginning in 2015-16.
Downes, a successful, life-long runner, comes to NJCU with over 20 years of high school coaching experience. He served as the head boys and girls cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field coach for 16 years at County Prep High School. Additionally, he was the assistant girls track coach at Dickinson High School for five years.
Downes surrendered this morning at the Toms River police headquarters. He was processed and released on a summons, pending a future appearance in court.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office says that the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office assisted in this case.