JACKSON, NJ – A Jackson woman who serves as the vice president of both the Jackson Township School District the Ocean County School Board Association has been indicted by a grand jury in Monmouth County on two charges, invasion of privacy and cyber-harassment.
The crimes were reported in Jackson Township, Ocean County, but the case has been referred to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. No reason for the switch of jurisdiction was given.
The cyber-harassment charges stem from a March 2020 incident where Rivera is accused of sending lewd and provocative photos of an individual to another person with the intent of harassing them.
According to the indictment on file in Monmouth County, Rivera is alleged to have committed the crime of cyber-harassment while making a communication in an online capacity via any electronic device or through a social networking site and with the intent to harass another.
The complaint alleges Rivera sent obscene material and photos of one person to another with the intent to cause emotional harm and place the victim in fear of physical or emotional harm.
The prosecutor’s office did not give too many details about the incident to protect the two victims in the matter.
The second count, invasion of privacy, stems from the photos of a male victim taken by Rivera and shared with another without his consent.
“Tara Rivera, on or about March 27, 2020, in or about the Township of Jackson, County of Ocean, and within the jurisdiction of this court, did commit the crime of invasion of privacy by photographing, filming, videotaping, recording, or otherwise reproducing in any manner, knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so, the image of a male victim whose intimate parts were exposed or who was engaged in the act of sexual penetration or sexual contact, without the consent of that male.
In April of 2021, Rivera was also charged with hindering and giving false information by the Jackson Police Department.
Rivera was elected to the Jackson School Board in 2017 and won re-election in 2020. She served as the board’s president in 2021. Rivera is now facing numerous calls for her resignation by parents in the community who have told Shore News Network they will show up at the board’s next public meeting on April 27th, at 6 pm in the Jackson Memorial High School Auditorium.