After attempting to leave a house, a woman was held against her will for approximately 4 to 5 hours and was repeatedly sexually assaulted. The man was subsequently convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault; however, on appeal, the kidnapping conviction was overturned as the confinement was viewed as “incidental” to the sexual assaults. In State v. Cruz-Pena, 243 N.J. 342 (2020) the New Jersey Supreme Court reinstated the conviction for kidnapping.
In State v. Higginbotham, 257 N.J.
Section 10:5-4 of New Jersey Revised Statutes states that all individuals have the right to obtain employment, to access public accommodations, secure housing accomodations, and to engage in other real property transactions without discrimination. The statute prohibits unequal treatment on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, liability for military service, nationality, or lawful source of income.
Section 18A:33-30 requires all New Jersey school districts to provide free menstrual products, including tampons and sanitary pads, in at least half of the female and gender-neutral restrooms in schools serving students in grades 6 through 12. The State bears the financial responsibility for supplying and maintaining these products. The law is implemented through administrative compliance under the Department of Education rather than through criminal penalties, ensuring equitable access to menstrual hygiene for students across public secondary schools.
N.J. Rev. Stat. § 17:23A-13.3 prohibits insurers and their agents from releasing personal or privileged information about a person’s status as a victim of domestic violence or about an employer of a victim of domestic violence, except under specific conditions. Disclosure is allowed only with the individual’s written consent, by court order, or when necessary for limited operational purposes such as claim processing or compliance with legal requirements.
New Jersey’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, codified in §§ 2C:25-19 - 2C:25-21, defines domestic violence and sets forth mandatory law enforcement responses and procedures during domestic violence incidents.
New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2C:14-2.1 establishes procedural safeguards for victims of sexual assault to ensure accuracy, transparency, and participation in the investigative process. The statute grants victims the right to review the initial incident report before it is formally filed and to complete a standardized form if they disagree with any portion of the report’s content.
Stalking is defined under § 2C:12-10 as a course of conduct carried out purposely and knowingly that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or to experience significant emotional distress. Such conduct may include following, monitoring, threatening, interfering with property, or engaging in repeated and unwanted contact or communications.
Under New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2C:14-9.1, sexual extortion is defined as using threats to damage another person’s reputation or property, or to share sexual images or recordings, in order to coerce sexual acts or the creation of sexually explicit material. The offense covers a broad range of coercive behavior, including threats made online or in person, and the law applies whether or not the perpetrator ultimately profits from the act. Sexual extortion is classified as a third-degree crime, punishable by three to five years in prison and fines up to $15,000.
New Jersey’s sexual offense statutes create a tiered framework addressing sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault based on the nature of the act, the relationship between the parties, and the vulnerability of the victim.
