An IT worker at the Hudson Arts and Science Middle School in Kearny has been arrested and charged with sexual misconduct after investigators learned he allegedly exposed himself to two middle school girls, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
On Thursday, June 5, 2025, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested Omer Sogutcu, 36, of Garfield and charged him with two counts of sexual assault by contact and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
He was arrested at the charter school’s district office in Fair Lawn and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility, pending his first court appearance.
The crimes are alleged to have occurred in October 2024 at the Hudson Arts and Science Middle School, where
Sogutcu is employed as an IT professional. Two female students, younger than 13, reported Sogutcu exposed himself and asked them to engage in sexual conduct.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.