MONTCLAIR, N.J., March 11 (UPI) -- Three students at a North Jersey high school were charged Tuesday with sexually assaulting a girl who was in a special education class.
The accused, Romal Roberts, 18, and two 16-year-olds, and their alleged victim, 16, all attended Montclair High School. The girl allegedly was molested with a broomstick and forced to perform sex acts at Roberts' home last Thursday, The New York Times reported.
"This is a horrible act," Montclair Police Chief David Sabagh told reporters as he announced the charges. "This is a sad day for Montclair."
The case is reminiscent of a 1989 assault on a retarded teenager in nearby Glen Ridge. Three teens were convicted of raping a girl they had known since childhood, using a broomstick and a toy baseball bat, and a fourth was found guilty of conspiracy.
School officials have not said why the alleged victim in Montclair was in a special education class. But the charges suggest she has diminished mental capacity, the Times said.
