An area pulmonologist has been arrested and charged with committing a series of sexual assaults against a juvenile, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.  

Cornelius Gallagher, 62, of Wall Township, has been charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault in connection with the alleged repeated incidents.

Convictions on first-degree criminal charges can be punishable by terms of up to 20 years in state prison.

The case background …

An investigation by Wall Township police revealed that the alleged sexual abuse began nearly 20 years ago and continued for more than a decade at various locations in Wall.

Gallagher was arrested late last week, then lodged in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending a detention hearing and first appearance tentatively scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 12 before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon.

Gallagher is a licensed pulmonologist with more than 20 years of practice and affiliations with three hospitals across Monmouth County.

The charges he is facing are not connected with his interactions with any patient.

Anyone with information about Gallagher’s alleged activities is asked to contact Wall Township Police Department Detective Steve Swenson at 732-449-4500.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

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