A newly elevated college official’s career unraveled in a matter of hours after police say a planned meeting at a New Jersey home turned into a sting operation.
According to the New York Post, authorities allege that James Hadley, 65, arrived at a residence in Pleasantville on Friday expecting to meet a teenage boy — but instead was taken into custody.
An affidavit states that Hadley brought a bottle of lubricant and $200 with him when he attempted to enter the home, per CBS News.
Investigators say the meeting was not the first interaction between the two. The affidavit alleges Hadley and the 13-year-old had at least two prior encounters in which money was exchanged for sex, referencing encrypted messages recovered from the boy’s phone.
The situation came to light when the boy’s mother discovered the messages along with explicit photos. She turned the phone over to the police on Thursday, setting off a rapid investigation.
Detectives then began posing as the victim in continued communications with Hadley. Within a day, authorities say, they arranged for him to return to the home, where he was arrested.
In one of the messages, Hadley allegedly acknowledged that he was aware that New Jersey’s age of consent is 16.
Beyond his academic role, Hadley had longstanding ties to youth organizations in Ocean County.
The director of the Barnegat Basketball Club confirmed he had volunteered there for decades but was immediately removed following his arrest.
Records also show he served on the board of Barnegat Little League until 2022 and briefly worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern New Jersey in 2019.
Most recently, Hadley had been named dean of the School of Business and Social Sciences at Ocean County College, according to a LinkedIn announcement. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Kean University.
He now faces multiple charges, including luring a minor, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal sexual contact.
Hadley was denied release on Wednesday and is scheduled to return to court on April 24.
