Maplewood Teacher Allegedly Shown Performing Sexual Acts on Students in Video

New video evidence in the case of Maplewood teacher Nicole Dufault, who is accused of sexually assaulting five of her 15-year-old students, allegedly shows her performing oral sex on students, according to police.

Dufault, 34, of Caldwell was arrested in her home Sept. 18 and charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. All victims were students of Columbia High School during the regular school year and summer school sessions in 2013 and 2014.

Dufault’s lawyer Tim Smith said he had not yet seen the tape, but suggested that the tapes may not show the whole story. He said his client may have been a victim of blackmail or coercion.

Former Morris County Prosecutor Bob Bianchi told m9nj that these cases are sometimes difficult to prosecute because all evidence is word-of-mouth but that a video could drastically change the outcome.

“Many individuals have been involved in a scenario where there’s been concrete proof, and there’s no way that the defense could win and ultimately those individuals were found to be innocent. However with that said, if there is a videotape in the case of this nature that shows an act of sexual misconduct occurring, that is an incredibly compelling piece of evidence for the prosecution,” he said.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 973-753-1130.