Pre-K Aide Faces 61 Charges Over Alleged Abuse of Students

Shaun M. Stebbins, a former teacher's aide at Woodbine Elementary School in Cape May County, New Jersey, faces 61 criminal charges after investigators said they found images and videos of students on his electronic devices. The charges include aggravated sexual assault and manufacturing child sexual abuse material. The allegations concern children who attended the school’s pre-K program, where Stebbins worked from February 2022 until his arrest.

Children at the Center

Prosecutors said a search of Stebbins’ devices allegedly revealed numerous images and videos of Woodbine Elementary students. Authorities haven’t disclosed how many students were involved or when the material was recorded. The children are at the center of the case; the public details released so far leave basic questions about the scope and timing of the alleged abuse unanswered.

Court documents, as reported by ABC7, say Stebbins filmed and performed sex acts on children in a school bathroom and during nap time. Those allegations describe abuse in spaces where young students were in the care of an adult employee. Stebbins is charged, and the allegations have not been established in court.

Stebbins worked with pre-K students at the school from February 2022 until his arrest in neighboring Atlantic County on March 29, 2026, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office. The investigation reached Cape May County after authorities in Atlantic County and Somers Point told prosecutors in April that a separate sexual-assault investigation involving Stebbins at his home had uncovered suspected crimes in the neighboring county.

The Charges and the Apparatus

Prosecutors announced the charges Oct. 30. They include 29 counts of manufacturing child pornography, five counts of aggravated sexual assault, 13 counts of sexual assault by sexual contact and 14 counts of endangering the welfare of a child. That is the criminal case’s stated scope: a list of charges brought by prosecutors, not a verdict.

The manufacturing and aggravated sexual-assault counts are first-degree offenses under New Jersey law and can carry prison sentences of 10 to 20 years. The remaining counts are second-degree offenses, typically punishable by five to 10 years. The state’s response runs through criminal charges and possible imprisonment; the children’s experiences and the number of students affected remain undisclosed in the information provided by authorities.

Stebbins remained in the Atlantic County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings. The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, along with the Woodbine School District, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The article describes no community-organized response or mutual-aid effort, and no election or legislative proposal. The immediate process described is being conducted by prosecutors and correctional authorities.

What Authorities Have Said

Prosecutors asked anyone with information to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit at 609-465-1135 or submit an anonymous tip at cmcpo.tips. That request places the public in the role of providing information to the investigators; the article gives no further details about support available to students or families.

Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said his office continued to investigate. “Children are among our most vulnerable population, and we have a responsibility to protect their safety and well-being. Anyone who harms a child will be held accountable through our justice system.” Those are the prosecutor’s words. The case now rests with that justice system as proceedings continue.