Man charged with sexually assaulting another man during religious ritual

NEWARK, NJ — Wayne Ram, a 44-year-old self-described religious leader, is accused of sexually assaulting a young male who sought spiritual guidance from him, according to a Sept. 20 press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The crime allegedly occurred in Orange on Aug. 7, when the young man met up with Ram at a family member’s home. The victim alleges that Ram suggested that the family member leave the home and then sexually assaulted him. The victim immediately reported the assault to law enforcement.

Ram currently lives in Newark but is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. He is charged with two counts of sexual assault and three counts of criminal sexual contact. On Aug. 27, Ram was arrested on these charges and was subsequently released on pretrial monitoring pending disposition of the case.  He was required to surrender his passport. His next court date is set for Oct. 1. 

These are accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they enter a guilty plea or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.