New Jersey police officer Anthony Minguez was cleared this week of charges of lewdness and disorderly conduct for allegedly exposing his genitals to two black boys: one 13-years-old and the other, 9-years-old, the Philadelphia Tribune reports.

The incident that led to the charges occurred at a local Applebee's restaurant in March 2017; Minguez was off-duty and intoxicated at the time.

The boys claimed the exposure happened it the restaurant's bathroom; they told their mother after the alleged encounter, and she called the police. Video interviews were conducted with the two boys, and these were used in court proceedings.

Following the alleged incident, Minguez was taken off the force and his case was forwarded to an Internal Affairs investigator and county prosecutor for review.

Minguez claimed that he was using a bathroom stall, and that the boys entered the stall, surprising him, according to the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecution decided not to indict Minguez at the superior court level, and relegated the case to the municipal level.

A judge at that level found Minguez not guilty of the charges.

According to NJ.com, Minguez was pleased by the results, saying, "I'm exhausted. I've gotta restart my life."

But not everyone was as happy as the defendant was. “Anthony Minguez is a clear representation of most of the Penns Grove Police Department, rogue,” said National Awareness Alliance chairman and founder Walter L. Hudson, Sr.

disorderly conduct

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