Robert "Bob" Sinnott.

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A former Toms River fire officer accused in four civil lawsuits of sexually abusing young volunteer firefighters was arrested in Florida on Thursday, Dec. 4, records show. 

Robert "Bob" M. Sinnott Jr., 52, was taken into custody by Cape Coral Police and booked into the Lee County Jail at 11:28 a.m., according to the agency.

Jail records list Sinnott’s charge as "out of state fugitive from justice," with no bond set at the time of his booking. Arrest records show he has an address in Cape Coral, FL.

Sinnott, who also previously worked as an Island Heights police officer, had reportedly been placed on leave from Toms River Fire District 2 in 2023, where he served as an assistant fire chief. 

The lawsuits filed in Ocean County Superior Court last spring accuse him of sexually assaulting multiple minors inside Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1 over a period alleged to span more than two decades. Plaintiffs say the abuse happened in firehouse offices, storage rooms, on training grounds, and even in camera blind spots Sinnott allegedly exploited.

The complaints also describe a pattern in which Sinnott allegedly groomed new recruits, isolated them during “training demonstrations,” used physical restraint, and coerced sexual acts by threatening them with discipline, demotion, or social humiliation inside the firehouse. Several plaintiffs said he leveraged his senior position and control over ride assignments, schedules, and evaluations to pressure them into silence.

The lawsuits further allege that township and county entities failed to provide required oversight of the volunteer fire service. Plaintiffs cite negligent supervision, civil rights violations, and failures under New Jersey’s mandatory-reporting laws. Each suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for emotional trauma, physical harm, and lasting psychological injuries.

Sinnott remained in custody Thursday pending extradition proceedings to New Jersey.