2004 Media Releases:

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
VINCENT P. SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
MEDIA   INFORMATION

May 5, 2004

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi announced that a Camden County Grand Jury today presented a 28-count indictment against Raymond Jackson, M/50, and Vanessa Jackson, F/48, formerly of Collingswood, N.J., on charges of Aggravated Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

Each count alleges a second-degree offense by each defendant. Each carries between five and 10 years in New Jersey State Prison upon conviction.

Counts 1 through 8 encompass two counts of Aggravated Assault against each of four boys the Jacksons adopted - B.J. (DOB 9-29-84), K.J. (10-18-89), T.J. (10-14-93) and M.J. (3-26-94). The indictment alleges that the defendants "did purposely, knowingly or under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, recklessly cause serious bodily injury" to the victims "by failing to provide proper and sufficient nutrition resulting in severe growth retardation and malnutrition."

The first Aggravated Assault count related to each boy covers the time period from placement in the Jackson home as a foster child until June 28, 2001, when the No Early Release Act (NERA) became law in New Jersey. The second Aggravated Assault count related to each boy covers June 28, 2001, through Oct. 10, 2003, the day the boys were removed from the Jackson home. NERA requires a defendant convicted of certain offenses, including Aggravated Assault, to serve at least 85 percent of his or her sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

The remaining counts allege Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

Counts 9 through 14 encompass three counts related to B.J. and three related to K.J. - one each for allegedly failing to provide adequate nutrition, one each for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care and one each for allegedly failing to provide adequate dental care.

Counts 15 through 18 encompass two Endangerment counts related to T.J. and two related to M.J. - one each for allegedly failing to provide adequate nutrition and one each for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care.

Counts 19 through 22 allege that "unnecessary pain and suffering, whether mental or physical, was caused or permitted to be inflicted on" each of the four boys.

Counts 23 through 28 allege that the defendants willfully failed to provide a clean and proper home for each of six children under the age of 18 - K.J. (male), T.J., M.J., K.J. (female), J.J. and B.P. - by failing to pay utility bills, resulting in the home being without electricity for more than three months and without gas service for approximately 27 days during the summer and early fall of 2003.

No court appearances are scheduled at this time. A Pre-Arraignment Conference (PAC), which does not involve a judge, is expected to be held in four to six weeks, at which time the defense is provided with discovery materials and an initial court appearance is scheduled.

All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.