Veteran East Orange police officer, PAL youth football director indicted for sexual crimes against children

EAST ORANGE, NJ — A Union County grand jury has returned a 16-count indictment against a 30-year veteran of the East Orange Police Department charged with serious sexual crimes against four children, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced Nov. 16.

Edward Giles, 61, formerly of Roselle, is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a child, two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a child victim over whom the defendant had supervisory or disciplinary power, five counts of various second-degree sexual offenses against a child victim, four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by photographing or videotaping child in a prohibited sexual act, and three counts of third-degree invasion of privacy.

Giles, a 30-year veteran of the East Orange Police Department, served as a community resource officer and youth football director for the East Orange Police Athletic League.

In 2019, a seven-month investigation led by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit was initiated following a referral by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, which also assisted the investigation alongside the UCPO’s Cyber Crime Task Force and the Roselle Police Department. Investigators determined that several of the alleged incidents occurred at Giles’ home on the 300 block of West 4th Avenue in Roselle, according to SVU Director and Union County Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor, who is prosecuting the case.

The initial investigation revealed that the first victim, a student-athlete playing for the East Orange Wildcats youth football team, then coached by Giles, was allegedly assaulted on several occasions from 1998 into 2000, when he was between 11 and 13 years old, Lawlor said. The second victim, also a youth football player, was allegedly assaulted from 2002 into 2003, when he was between 12 and 13 years old.

Following the execution of a search warrant at Giles’ home, forensic analysis of recovered recorded materials resulted in the addition of several charges. The recordings were made between April 2018 and October 2019, when the victims were between the ages of 13 and 15 years old.

Anyone with additional information about Giles’ activities is urged to contact UCPO Lt. Sofia Santos at 908-577-4256.

Convictions on criminal charges of this nature are commonly punishable by 10 to 20 years in state prison.

These criminal charges are mere accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law.

  East Orange Police Athletic League, East Orange Police Department, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Prosecutor’s Office