Moorestown officer pleads not guilty to sex with cows

[njfinest50]

BY CAROL COMEGNO • GANNETT NEW JERSEY • NOVEMBER 18, 2008


Moorestown officer pleads not guilty to sex with girls, cows | APP.com | Asbury Park Press

MOUNT HOLLY — A suspended Moorestown policeman pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of sexually assaulting three juvenile females and cruelty to animals involving other sex acts.

Defendant Robert Melia Jr., 38, of Cottage Avenue is charged in a 45-count criminal indictment with multiple counts of sexually assaulting the girls in his home between 2000 and 2008.

Police also allege he had sex with cows in Southampton.

In addition, he is charged with official misconduct in office.

Melia's former girlfriend, Heather Lewis, 33, of Stockton's Bridge Road, Pemberton Township, pleaded not guilty last week to similar charges involving the girls and a boy.

Defense lawyer Mark Catanzaro entered not guilty pleas for Melia before Superior Court Judge Thomas Smith Jr. on Monday to those charges and also to six counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of invasion of privacy.

Police raided Melia's home in April and confiscated alleged pornographic material and Melia's computer. Both defendants were arrested April 12 and indicted last month by a Burlington County grand jury.

The stepfather of one of the girls contacted police about the alleged abuse, according to the grand jury indictment.

Melia is free on $410,000 bail while Lewis has been in the Burlington County Jail in lieu of $300,000 bail since her arrest.

Moorestown police director Harry Johnson suspended Melia on April 12, immediately following his arrest.


Reach Carol Comegno at (609) 267-9486 or ccomegno@courierpostonline.com

[cllingo]

Wish this story was just about the cows. Would have been fun to make fun of him. But, its too sick to think about now.

[njfinest50]

yeah, i receive this newspaper at home. the asbury park press is nj biggest newspaper and its more of a serious paper...

[Slimmer]

Wait....we can't have sex with cows? When did that change? Guess I gotta come up with something else for Tuesday mornings.

I feel bad for those children. I hope that he gets his in prison....and he's a LEO on top of that....sad day for those that serve.

[BOP5150]

What a sicko! Poor kids.
How about a little bovine revenge. Anybody remember a movie called "The Cowboy Way"?

[ATW-Hack]

Originally Posted by BOP5150

What a sicko! Poor kids.
How about a little bovine revenge. Anybody remember a movie called "The Cowboy Way"?

That's funny LOL!!! That sick little idiot would probably like it though!