Stephanie Carafa, a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Bergen County, was arrested for sending sexually explicit photos and videos to a student under the age of 16.
32-year-old Carafa’s father is a mayor of Lodi, New Jersey, the Daily Mail reports.
What Happened?
Stephanie A. Carafa, 32, was arrested on Saturday, October 27, after an investigation found she allegedly had sexual contact and shared explicit pictures with a student, according to Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo.
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After the initial complaint a joint investigation by the special victims unit from the prosecutor’s office and the Lodi Police Department revealed that Carafa had also “engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct” with a student under the age of 16, the prosecutor’s office said.
Carafa is the daughter of Lodi Mayor Emil Carafa, according to NorthJersey.com. The mayor told the website that his daughter is “the love of my life, as is my family.”
“There is a process in this country, and that process is the court of law,” the mayor said. “I know that people in their human nature are inquisitive, and I understand that. I respect their inquisitiveness, but my main concern right now is my daughter.”
As NorthJersey.com reports, Mike Nardino, a Board of Education trustee and cousin of Stephanie Carafa, said he could not comment, as it is a personnel matter. He referred questions to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Carafa now faces charges of one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact. She is scheduled to have a detention hearing on Friday, November 2 at 9 A.M. A spokesperson for the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said the complaint involves one person at this point, but the investigation is ongoing.
Who Is Stephanie Carafa?
Carafa, 32, is a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Lodi, Bergen County. She was charged with exchanging explicit photos and videos with a minor, acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said Monday, October 29.
Carafa is also the daughter of Lodi Mayor Emil Carafa, who was re-elected in 2017. He is the mayor of the township where his daughter taught.
Carafa was hired in 2012 and earns $49,281 a year, state pension records indicate.