TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said his office will not be notifying the media or the public of the details of an arrest made this week of Felix Albert Serrano. Serrano is currently being held without bail in the Ocean County Jail on multiple charges of sexual assault against children.
Serrano was charged with three counts of sexual assault against a child under the age of 4-years-old, one count of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13-years-old and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
The policy by Prosecutor Billhimer is a major shift from his predecessor, former Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato. Before being appointed by Governor Phil Murphy to replace Coronato, who was known as being tough on criminals, Billhimer served as one of Ocean County’s most prominent criminal defense attorneys.
Typically, most New Jersey prosecutors send press releases to the media for most major crimes, but that activity has been reduced by Billhimer during his tenure.
Brian Huntenburg, the public information officer for the prosecutor’s office said of Serrano’s multiple charges, “We will not be releasing any information.”
According to the Ocean County Jail’s inmate search tool, Serrano is listed as divorced and was charged on February 17th. He is being held without bail and it is uncertain at this time whether or not he would be eligible for pre-trial release under New Jersey’s Bail Reform Act.