New charges filed against retired Island Heights cop
State investigators allege that the former police officer and fire chief restrained and sexually touched victims.
A retired Ocean County cop charged in December with criminal sexual contact has been indicted on new offenses after investigators unearthed more accusations against him, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said Thursday.
The initial charges against Robert M. Sinnott Jr., a 53-year-old retired Island Heights police officer and former chief of the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company in Toms River, stemmed from a state investigation that found he’d forced “multiple other firefighters… into acts of non-consensual sexual contact,” according to Davenport’s office.
For those alleged crimes, Sinnott, who now lives in Cape Coral, Florida, was charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of official misconduct, according to Davenport’s office.
But investigators from the state’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability found evidence of other crimes during their inquiry.
On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Sinnott on new charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, second-degree official misconduct and second-degree pattern of official misconduct, law enforcement officials said.
“The defendant held positions of trust and power within the communities he served and among his coworkers and subordinates in government,” Davenport said in a statement. “But, as alleged in the indictment, he abused that trust again and again. It is inexcusable for public officials to so betray the people they serve and the people they lead.”
Prosecutors say Sinnott, who served in several supervisory roles during his time with the fire department, created situations in which he’d be alone with his alleged 11 victims at various locations, including his Toms River home.
His firefighter victims looked up to him, law enforcement officials said, and saw Sinnott as a role model.
But he allegedly abused his position by handcuffing or otherwise restraining his targets under the pretense that he needed their help with his police training. Then he allegedly sexually touched them against their will, according to law enforcement officials. Sometimes, he would even take pictures of them in compromising positions, they said.
The pattern of official misconduct charge stems from similar alleged criminal conduct during his time with the Island Heights police force, law enforcement officials said.
The Cape Coral Police Special Weapons and Tactics team arrested Sinnott on Dec. 4, 2025, and executed search warrants on his property and car, law enforcement officials said.
He was later extradited to New Jersey to face prosecution.
Mitchell Ansell, Sinnott’s Ocean Township attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.
If found guilty, Sinnott faces decades in state prison and massive fines.
Investigators have asked anyone who has more information about Sinnott’s conduct to contact Detective Brandon Mastropasqua at 609-960-3768.
Steve Janoski is an award-winning investigative journalist with nearly two decades of experience covering criminal justice, policing, courts, government, and politics. His reporting has exposed corruption, government malfeasance, and police misconduct. His work has appeared in the New York Post, USA Today, The Associated Press, The Record, and the Asbury Park Press. At The Jersey Vindicator, he covers criminal justice. Reach Steve at steve AT jerseyvindicator.org.