A South Jersey band director surrendered to police on Monday after he allegedly sexually assaulted a teenager.
Jason Koenig, 26, the director of the Hammonton High School Marching Band, is charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and other related offenses.
Koenig allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old student at Hammonton High between November and December of last year. Investigators say Koenig “had supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim by virtue of his occupational status.”
Koenig turned himself in at the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 8:45 a.m. on Monday. He was placed in custody and arraigned.
A judge denied Koenig’s application for bail reduction. His bail is set at $200,000 cash or bond, no 10%. In addition to posting bail, officials say Koenig must also surrender his passport, remain in New Jersey, have no contact with the alleged victim or the alleged victim’s family and submit to GPS monitoring.
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NBC10 spoke to Koenig’s attorney, Katherine Hartman, after a court appearance on Monday.
“Of course he’s innocent of the charges,” Hartman said. “The fact that I don’t want to talk to you does not mean he’s not innocent. He doesn’t lose his presumption of innocence just because he doesn’t want to talk to the media.”
A spokesperson with the Hammonton Board of Education told NBC10 they are cooperating fully with the investigation. Koenig resigned from his position last week, one day before a band trip to Maryland.
