MAYS LANDING – Ralph Marinelli, 75, of Ventnor, was arrested July 3, and charged with sexual assault of a minor between 13 and 16 years of age and sexual assault of a minor between 16 and 17 years of age when the defendant had a supervisory role over the minor. In a release, the Prosecutor said the arrest came after a months-long investigation by the New Jersey State Police Criminal Investigations Division.
The victim, now in her late 40s, came forward to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit organization set up to reduce sexual abuse of minors and athletes in the United States. The organization forwarded the report to local law enforcement in Atlantic County.
The victim disclosed Marinelli was her personal skating coach for years at the Young’s Skating Center in Mays Landing. The victim described how a relationship developed between herself and the defendant when she was 14 years old and the defendant was 40 years old. Over the course of the relationship, it is alleged that the victim was groomed and sexually abused by the defendant. The relationship continued through the victim’s teenage years, from approximately 1992 through 1995.
Numerous pieces of corroborating evidence were collected by the police, including photographs of the defendant and the victim together, greeting cards, letters and gifts the defendant gave to the victim throughout the relationship. The victim kept a detailed, dated, handwritten journal that described the various memories she had with the defendant, including the sexual abuse.
Multiple witnesses said they knew that an inappropriate relationship occurred between the defendant and the victim in the 1992–1995 timeframe. Three call between the defendant and the victim were recorded where they discussed their past relationship. There was an in-person meeting between the two, which was also recorded, where the sexual relationship was discussed and the defendant said, “It should not have happened.” At the conclusion of this in person meeting, the defendant gave the victim $500 in cash and old skating mementos.
Marinelli was charged on a warrant. The Prosecutor’s Office agreed to Marinelli’s release with conditions after reviewing the Public Safety Assessment which, based on the defendant’s lack of criminal record, recommended release on his own recognizance. The Honorable Billie Moore J.M.C. agreed with the Prosecutor’s Office to release the defendant on pre-trial monitoring level three but declined to impose the additional condition requested by the Prosecutor’s Office that the defendant be prevented from continued employment at Young’s Skating Center. The court ordered that if the defendant’s employment is terminated from Young’s Skating Center, he will not be permitted to return while the charges are pending.
The defendant has a pre-indictment conference on Aug. 12, where the Prosecutor’s Office may request additional conditions, if appropriate, as there is a concern that the defendant has continued access to minors at the skating center, the release stated.
These charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about this incident or other serious crimes are asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7666 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Website at ACPO.tips and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page.
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