He prosecuted sex abuse at N.J.’s women’s prison. Now he’s working for the Catholic Church.

NEWARK (NJ)
Star Ledger

April 14, 2019

By S.P. Sullivan

Anthony Kearns spent nine years as the top law enforcement official in Hunterdon County, a place that has for several years seen the lowest overall crime rate in the state.

But the problems that plague society do not abide county lines, Kearns says.

“Anything that happens anywhere else can happen here, and we have to be ready for it and have the skillset to address it,” he said.

Murders and suspicious deaths require expert investigations. The opioid crisis is increasing taking lives in every corner of the state.

And then there’s New Jersey’s only women’s prison, which sits on a rolling swath of land in Clinton and Union Townships. Over the last three years, Kearns’ office has been investigating claims of sexual abuse of inmates by staff at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility.

The inquiry has led to criminal charges against eight staff members. Five were convicted and one acquitted so far. The other two await trials.

Kearns, who stepped down from his post on Friday, told NJ Advance Media he considers the ongoing investigation into sex abuse at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women “unfinished business.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.