A former teacher and basketball coach in Trenton was charged with sexual assault that began when the victim was in middle school, according to Mercer County prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Darrel Moody, 51, was arrested Monday in Trenton for multiple counts of sexual assault between 2014 to 2019. Authorities say Moody targeted the child while teaching fifth-grade at Parker Intermediate School, an elementary school in Trenton.

Authorities say the abuse began in 2014 and continued through the victim's high school years, ending in 2019. Moody was also a basketball coach at Joyce Kilmer Intermediate School during that same time.

Moody, of Plainfield, was charged with one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of second-degree sexual assault, two counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The prosecutor’s office filed a motion to detain Moody pending trial.

Prosecutors say Moody is also facing unrelated charges in South Plainfield, including solicitation of a minor for prostitution.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the prosecutor’s SVU at 609-989-6568 or mcposvu@mercercounty.org.