Arrest Made In 80s Sexual Assault Cases: Morris Co. Prosecutor

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - A 70-year-old Tennessee man was arrested and charged with sexual assault for crimes that spanned from 1981 through 1987, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Richard A. Ziegler, 70, has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault, three counts of sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, a crime of the third degree and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said.

It is alleged that between December 1, 1981 and May 31, 1987, in the Township of Roxbury, Ziegler engaged in multiple sexual acts with two separate victims. One victim was between the ages of 10 and 12 when the acts occurred, and the other victim was between the ages of 10 and 15. It is further alleged that at the time of the assaults, Ziegler had been living with the victims and had assumed responsibility for the care of them, authorities said.

According to police, Ziegler was recently located in Oneida, Tennessee, by the Tennessee Highway Patrol -Criminal Investigations Division. Their investigation alleged that Ziegler had falsified documents to obtain a Driver’s License in Tennessee under an assumed identity. During the investigation into the defendant’s identity, Tennessee officials became aware of the allegations against the defendant for sexual assault in New Jersey, and notified the Township of Roxbury Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, police said.

Ziegler was charged in Tennessee with aggravated perjury, a Class D felony, and driver’s license Fraud, a Class A misdemeanor.

Anyone with information relating to these incidents or any related incident is asked to call Sergeant Anne-Marie Truppo of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6291 or Detective William Manisa of the Township of Roxbury Police Department at 973-448-2050.

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