New trials granted for former Woodbridge cop
Cases involved sexual assault of stepson, taking suggestive photos of teen
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer
Astate appellate court on Aug. 15 reversed the convictions and granted new trials for former Woodbridge Police Officer Douglas Karlson, who was sentenced in February 2007 to up to 17 years in prison for taking hundreds of suggestive photographs of a then-15-year-old Colonia girl and for sexually assaulting his stepson, now 27, beginning when the boy was 14 years old.

With the sentencing, Karlson, 48, who was an 18-year member of the Woodbridge Police Department and an Old Bridge resident, would have to pay mandatory fines and penalties, be under community supervision for life, have to be in full compliance with Megan's Law, and would have to forfeit his public office. He was eligible for parole after six years.

Karlson currently is being held at South Woods State Prison in South Bridgeton.

The three-judge panel agreed with Karlson's contention that the trial judge abused his discretion in refusing to separate the counts of the indictment relating to the 15- year-old Colonia girl from the counts relating to his 27-year-old stepson, therefore denying him a fair trial.

The indictment relating to the incident with the 15-year-old Colonia girl charged Karlson with a second-degree count of endangering the welfare of a child, a third-degree count of endangering the welfare of a child, and a second-degree count of official misconduct.

The counts relating to his 27-year-old stepson included a first-degree count of aggravated sexual assault and a second-degree count of sexual assault.

The charges relating to the 15-year-old girl and the charges relating to his stepson were merged into one trial in December 2006.

In July 2006, a jury found Karlson guilty of official misconduct and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child by taking hundreds of suggestive photographs of the 15- year-old girl between Oct. 1, 2004, and May 10, 2005. However, the jury could not reach a verdict on two other counts of the indictment pertaining to Karlson's stepson.

In December 2006, the state retried Karlson on the charges that he sexually assaulted his stepson.

Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua said before the second trial that the state's main reason to retry the case was that the victim (Karlson's stepson) wanted justice.

The jury found Karlson guilty of aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault in the second degree upon his stepson between June 26, 1994, and June 25, 1996.

In July 2006, Karlson admitted taking pictures of the 15-year-old girl, the daughter of Ann Marie Dobbs, whom Karlson first met when he was a police officer responding to a police call.

Karlson admitted that he had had an affair with Dobbs and said they were intimate a few times. He also admitted to taking partially nude photographs of the girl, but said he did so with the permission of the girl and her mother.

Karlson's stepson, who kept his secret of being sexually abused quiet for years, told the jury that he heard about the investigation of his stepfather involving the 15-year-old girl when he read it in the newspapers.

The victim, who testified that he didn't come forward earlier because he thought no one would believe him, since Karlson was a Woodbridge police officer, said he confided in some friends and they told him that he needed to do something.

The victim went to Woodbridge Police Lt. Dennis Gorman, who was a sergeant at the time, and Gorman referred him to Investigator Rajesh Chopra of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office in June 2005.

Both Karlson and his wife, Donna, testified at both trials, denying the boy's account that Karlson sexually assaulted him. The 27-year-old is Karlson's stepson and the biological son of Donna.

The 27-year-old spoke softly at Karlson's sentencing on Feb. 23, 2007, and told Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa, sitting in New Brunswick, that he still had nightmares and troubling memories from his childhood. He said some part of him felt responsible for what happened to the 15-year-old Colonia girl.

"I could have stopped that, but I was too scared to come forward," he said. "It's been on my mind. I can't tell you exactly how my life would have been if this never happened."

William Dobbs, the father of the 15- year-old girl, told the judge that the ordeal has been a burden on his whole family.