NJ elementary school teacher accused of raping 10-year-old girl

A Monmouth County man is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl while he was an elementary school teacher in Long Branch.

Gustavo Barrientos, 53, of Tinton Falls, has been charged with first degree aggravated sexual assault and second degree endangering the welfare of a child, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced on Sunday.

He would show the 10-year-old female student pornography and sexually assault her on "multiple occasions," according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

Barrientos was listed as a math and science teacher at George L. Catrambone Elementary School for fourth grade between 2016 and 2017, according to a school program posted online.

In 2018, the Long Branch Board of Education was dealing with a recommendation that Barrientos be suspended with pay, cited as a confidential matter during a meeting in September of that year.

As of this past summer, Barrientos had resigned, according to a Board of Education meeting in late July, during which certification of a replacement teacher was on the agenda.

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It was unclear how long Barrientos was suspended for and just when he had resigned, based on a public records search Sunday evening.

Barrientos was arrested on Sunday and taken to Monmouth County Jail pending a detention hearing.

If convicted, he could face up to life in prison on the aggravated sexual assault charge and up to ten years in prison for endangering the welfare of a child.

Anyone with potential information on the case can contact Long Branch Police at 732-222-1000 or the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Bureau at 732-431-7160 ext. 7032.

Anonymous tips also can be submitted to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-671-4400 or online www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

Last month, a middle school teacher in Long Branch was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after investigators said he went online to try to exploit underage boys.

Jesse Rosenbaum, 65, was sending sexually explicit emails and text messages to someone he believed to be a teen boy, when it was actually an undercover detective in Mercer County, according to authorities.