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Sayreville football players to be tried as juveniles

Photo: AP
Photo: AP

The seven high school football players arrested for alleged acts of hazing in their Sayreville (N.J.) War Memorial High School locker room will be tried as juveniles, the New York Daily News is reporting.

The newspaper did not name its source, but reports that Middlesex County (N.J.) Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey will not ask a judge to try any of the teens as adults. This means that their names will remain protected and their records will be sealed. They will also face lesser penalties if convicted.

"It's huge news for the kids who were arrested," said the source, who has followed the case closely and spoke on the condition of anonymity. "The charges are still serious, but trust me, juvenile court is where they want to be, not adult court."

The boys, who range in age from 15 to 17 years old, were arrested Oct. 10 on charges of aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, conspiracy to commit aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint and hazing.

The alleged incidents took place on four separate days across a 10-day span in September. The victims were four freshman boys. The case caught national attention when district superintendent Rick Labbe canceled the remainder of SWMHS's football season after police notified him of an investigation into the events.

Two other schools, one in Pennsylvania and one in New York, later canceled their seasons among allegations of hazing and inappropriate contact within their locker rooms. Football players in Oklahoma and Texas were also suspended and expelled amid similar circumstances.