Man Accused of Entering School Admits to Burglary; Has Sex Crime Charge Dismissed

The Toms River man accused of impersonating a police officer and committing an act of aggravated sexual contact on a teacher in a township school will have those charges dismissed after pleading guilty to burglary Thursday, authorities said.

Bruce A. Figular, 50, was charged in May with unlawfully entering Toms River Intermediate East on a January school day through an open door, claiming he was a police officer, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

The incident led to charges for Figular of third degree burglary, third degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and fourth degree impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to the prosecutor's office.

Figular entered a guilty plea on Thursday to one count of third degree burglary before Superior Court Judge Francis Hodgson. The remaining charges will be dismissed when Figular is sentenced on a date that is yet to be determined, said prosecutor’s office spokesman Della Fave said.

“The state will be seeking a probationary sentence and reserves the right to seek up to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation,” Della Fave said. “Additionally, the defendant will be required to have no contact with the victim, or her family as a condition of probation.”

Following the incident, parents said that they were upset school officials did not notify them before the prosecutor’s office released the details to news media several months later. School officials said that they were complying with direction from law enforcement authorities in not disclosing the incident sooner.

Children were present in the building at the time of the incident, but not in the classroom where the alleged aggravated sexual contact occurred, Della Fave has said.