By Eamon Harbord
The Patch
December 21, 2011
http://riverdell.patch.com/articles/former-paramus-catholic-teachers-indicted-by-grand-jury
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A Bergen County Grand Jury returned a 25 count indictment Wednesday against former Paramus Catholic staffers Artur Sopel, 31, of River Edge and Michael Sumilikoski, 27, of Elmwood Park, authorities said.
The two men were arrested on April 5, 2011 on charges that they engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct in with four teenage female students during a school trip to Europe.
The indictment charges Sopel with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child and 12 counts of sexual assault, which are second degree crimes each carrying a maximum term of 10 years in prison. He is also charged with two counts of witness tampering, a third degree crime carrying a maximum term of five years incarceration.
Sumilikoski's indictment includes three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of sexual assault, which are second degree crimes each carrying a maximum term of 10 years in prison.
Bergen County Judge Donald Venezia set bail for Sopel at $225,000 and for Sumulikowski at $50,000. Both have posted bail.
The alleged incidents occured while Sopel and Sumilikoski were chaperoning a trip to Belgium and Germany in February 2010. Sopel engaged in sexual activities with two students and Sumilikoski did the same with another, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said.
Sopel allegedly implored two of the girls to withhold cooperation during the investigation.
After the initial allegations were reported, a fourth female victim alleged that she had engaged in sexual activities with Sopel in May 2010 when she was a student at Paramus Catholic High School.
Both have pleaded not guilty.
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