A former New Jersey cop who also served as a volunteer fire chief was arrested Thursday following allegations that he handcuffed and groped firefighters during bogus training sessions.
Robert Sinnott, Jr., 52, an ex-cop and former chief of the Silverton Volunteer Fire Company in Toms River, NJ, was taken into custody at his home in Cape Coral, Florida, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced in a press release.
Multiple volunteer firefighters who worked with Sinnott accused him of creating situations between 2022 and 2023 where he would be alone with his victims at various locations, including the firehouse and his home. According to the release, some alleged that Sinnott handcuffed them under the guise of “training” and forced acts of sexual contact upon them.
Additionally, others reported witnessing Sinnott taking photographs of firefighters while they were still cuffed.
The Office of Public Integrity & Accountability in New Jersey conducted an investigation into Sinnott’s alleged misconduct. During the inquiry, victims and fellow firefighters described Sinnott as a mentor and role model, making the accusations even more striking.
In March, three volunteer firefighters from Silverton Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 filed a lawsuit accusing Sinnott of sexual assault. The suit claimed that the repeated abuse was ignored by other members of the department’s leadership. All three plaintiffs are male and highlighted the forced handcuffing reported by the Attorney General’s Office. They also described “simulated police demonstrations that allegedly turned violent and sexually explicit,” according to NJ.com.
Sinnott faces four counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree and one count of official misconduct in the second degree. If convicted on the official misconduct charge alone, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
He is currently being held at the Lee County Jail in Florida, pending extradition to New Jersey.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/us-news/ex-nj-cop-arrested-on-allegations-he-handcuffed-groped-firefighters-during-fake-trainings/