Cape May County teacher accused of sexually assaulting student

A Cape May County high school teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a student.

Joseph Towns, 34, is charged with the second-degree crimes of sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct, along with possessing child pornography and promoting obscene material to a minor, both third-degree crimes.

Towns, of the 3900 block of Bayshore Road in North Cape May, is also charged with criminal sexual conduct, according to a news release from the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office.

Towns allegedly committed the crimes against a Middle Township High School student between October 2012 and October 2013, while he was employed there as an English teacher.

He surrendered Tuesday afternoon and was released from the Cape May County Correctional Center after posting $175,000 bond, officials said.

If convicted, Towns faces a state prison term of five to 10 years for each second-degree crime, as well up to five years for each third-degree crime.