BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A Basking Ridge teacher was arrested Thursday on charges of cyber-harassment and stalking in connection with anonymous letters and social media messages targeting a juvenile victim of sexual abuse.
Tracy Biondi, 56, was taken into custody outside her residence without incident by detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit and officers from the Bridgewater Police Department.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said the investigation began in May after the family of a juvenile female was alerted that anonymous handwritten letters containing lewd, indecent and obscene messages about the victim were being distributed to friends and community members.
The victim had been the subject of a criminal case involving field hockey coach Brett Clay, who was convicted in February of fourth-degree attempted criminal sexual contact after admitting he tried to have sexual contact with the juvenile he coached.
Clay had sent the victim numerous messages of a sexual nature and offered to send her money in exchange for sexual content, according to authorities.
Detectives determined that in addition to the letters, the victim’s friends were contacted via a social media application by an anonymous individual who made similar harassing and disparaging statements about the victim.
Investigators traced the social media messages to an account associated with Biondi, according to McDonald.
Biondi is employed as a teacher with the Bridgewater Township School district and has ties to the field hockey community, authorities said.
McDonald said Biondi openly supported Clay during his criminal matter and attempted to recruit other field hockey families to provide their support for him.
A search warrant was executed at Biondi’s residence in search of additional documents related to the investigation.
Biondi was charged with fourth-degree cyber-harassment, fourth-degree stalking and harassment, a disorderly person’s offense.
She was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a hearing.
Authorities request anyone with information relating to the investigation to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Bridgewater Township Police Department at (908) 722-4111.
