Story by Ethan
On April 4th, 2024, the arrest of Brett Clay, age 39, was announced by Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Bridgewater Township Chief of Police John B. Mitzak. Brett Clay was charged with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Minor.
According to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, an allegation of inappropriate contact with a minor in Mount Olive, New Jersey, was brought up to the Bridgewater Police Department on March 27th, 2024. The Bridgewater Police Department then contacted the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit and arranged for detectives to interview the 17-year old victim. The victim, who is a minor, claimed during the time span of December 2023 until January 2024, the suspect, Brett Clay, offered the victim money in exchange for sexually explicit photographs. This interview led to an investigation being launched to look into the allegations. On March 28, 2024, Brett Clay was located in Raritan Township, New Jersey, and arrested without incident as a result of the investigation.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Brett Clay are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
