Hamburg firefighter suspended

Hamburg — Hamburg volunteer firefighter Shawn Houghtaling was suspended from firefighting duty, pending settlement of charges filed against him in Hunterdon County. He was charged with engaging in sexual conduct with inmates at a women’s prison, where he worked. He has been suspended without pay from his prison job, according to published reports. Those charges led to his suspension as a firefighter. According to a Hamburg Borough ordinance, any volunteer, elected official or employee of the town charged in a crime is relieved of duty until settlement of those charges, explained Borough Mayor Paul Marino. It’s a blanket ordinance that protects the town from liability, the mayor said. Reinstatement would follow a finding of not guilty. Those found guilty can be permanently dismissed from their jobs, whether they are paid or volunteer positions. The mayor would not comment further as it is a police matter. Houghtaling, 40, of Hamburg, and another man, both senior corrections officers at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Hunterdon County, were recently indicted on charges of official misconduct for engaging in sexual conduct with inmates at the prison in Union Township, according to court papers. Both were suspended from their jobs without pay, according to an article in The Star Ledger newspaper. In addition to the first charge, other charges stemming from instances of sexual contact with two inmates between July 2005 and August 2008 and again between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28 of 2009, were listed in the indictment. Houghtaling was further charged for another incident alleged to have occurred between Jan. 8 and May 30, 2008.