Ex-teacher has been indicted three times for allegedly sexually assaulting students since 2013.
Jason Fennes, a former first-grade teacher at a private school in Franklin Township. (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)SOMERSET -- Jason Fennes, a former first-grade teacher at a Franklin Township private school, was denied a bail reduction on Monday for the second time in six months after his third indictment for allegedly sexually assaulting students since 2013.
Under his latest indictment, Fennes is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a female pupil at the school in 2010 and 2011.
Fennes, 40, of Cranford, is being held at Somerset County Jail on a $100,000 cash or bond bail set in February.
Fennes' lawyer, public defender Marsha Munoz, asked Somerset County Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Jones to reduce Fennes' bail to $50,000 during the hearing, citing his long-time ties to the community and family support. Fennes has been in custody since February 2015.
Assistant prosecutor Annemarie L. Mueller argued that Fennes' bail should remain the same. She said that the seriousness of his crime and the fact he has similar charges pending in Morris County justified his bail.
Also, Mueller, who was denied a bail reduction in March, said that Fennes' bail is already on the low side. She said the charges against him calls for his bail to be set in the range of $150,000 to $300,000 under state law.
The judge agreed and Fennes' bail reduction motion was denied.
Fennes faces up to 30 years in prison for the two sexual assault charges and 10 years on the endangering charge.
RELATED: Ex-teacher indicted again for allegedly sexually assaulting a student
On Feb. 17, 2015 Fennes was arrested by detectives in the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit, authorities said.
On Jan. 28, a 10-year-old girl told detectives that Fennes, while employed as a first-grade teacher at Cedar Hill Prep School on in Somerset, sexually assaulted her in 2010 and 2011 while she was 6-years-old and enrolled at the school, authorities said.
Fennes has been indicted twice in Morris County on sexual assault charges that are pending.
On Aug. 20, 2013, Fennes was indicted on charges he abused four first-grade girls between 2005 and 2008 while he was a teacher at the William Mason Elementary School in Montville.
Two days later, he was indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl who was between the ages of 14 and 16 while he was her assistant track coach at Butler High School in incidents that allegedly began in 1997.
Fennes, formerly of Bloomfield, taught in the Montville school district from 1998 until leaving in June 2010. Fennes also coached track at Montville High School.
At William Mason Elementary School in Montville, alleged incidents took place in Fennes' classroom and in an attached bathroom between January and June of 2005, when the girl he's accused of abusing there was 6 and 7 years old. He was charged with eight counts of sexual assault and four counts of child endangerment.
The girl told Morris County Prosecutor's Detective Edward Mitreuter that Fennes rubbed his genitals against her on one occasion and had her touch his genitals the other time, according to an affidavit filed in Superior Court in Morristown.
In the second Morris County indictment, relating to incidents at Butler High School, Fennes was charged with eight criminal counts of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of the child through liaisons at his apartment in Parsippany between March 1, 1997 and Aug. 3, 1998.
After leaving Montville, Fennes taught first grade at Cedar Hill Prep School in the Somerset section of Franklin Township from September 2010 until Feb. 21, 2012, when he left the school.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
