The former husband of Maplewood teacher Nicole Dufault, Drew Dufault, 34, of Newark was sentenced to 18 months of probation for a 2014 burglary in West Orange
Drew Dufault NEWARK -- While his ex-wife remains accused of sexually assaulting six students, a Newark man was sentenced on Friday to probation for burglarizing a West Orange home last year.
Drew Dufault, 34, was sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty on Aug. 7 to a burglary charge in connection with the June 13, 2014 incident. He is the former husband of Maplewood teacher Nicole Dufault.
"I totally regret ever committing the crime," Drew Dufault said during Friday's hearing, according to an audio recording of the proceeding. "I feel bad."
Dufault added that he "never really did anything like that" and attributed his behavior to "doing drugs." As soon as he was arrested, Dufault said he took it upon himself to "straighten out my act."
At the time of the burglary, Dufault entered the house through a window and stole jewelry and about $800 in cash, authorities said. No one was home at the time of the break-in, authorities said.
MORE: Ex-husband of teacher in sex assault case pleads guilty to burglary
During Friday's hearing, Dufault's attorney, James McHale, noted the incident represents Dufault first conviction for an indictable offense, and that Dufault "has taken it upon himself" to receive drug rehabilitation treatment, according to the audio recording.
In handing down the sentence, Superior Court Judge Alfonse Cifelli warned Dufault that if he violates his probation, his probation would be terminated and he will be re-sentenced to three years in state prison, according to the audio recording.
The judge also ordered Dufault to perform 190 hours of community service and to undergo drug and/or alcohol monitoring.
Cifelli noted that Dufault has a history of substance abuse issues related to heroin, cocaine and marijuana, and that he has received treatment at various facilities. A graduate of West Orange High School, Dufault has said he suffers from bipolar disorder, according to the judge.
Dufault has been providing child support in the amount of $140 per month, the judge said.
Maplewood teacher Nicole Dufault appears at a hearing on Monday, Aug. 3. Dufault is charged with sexually assaulting six male students at Columbia High School. (Bill Wichert | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Drew and Nicole Dufault were married on Aug. 6, 2009 in a ceremony in East Orange, court documents state. Their oldest son was born in 2010, followed by the birth of their second son in 2011, public records show.
When Nicole Dufault filed for divorce in July 2013, she claimed the couple had experienced "irreconcilable differences," according to the complaint she filed on July 15, 2013.
Their divorce was finalized on Oct. 2, 2013, according to the judgment of divorce approved on that day.
A language arts teacher at Columbia High School, Nicole Dufault, 36, of Caldwell, is facing a 40-count indictment charging her with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Dufault is accused of engaging in sexual activity with the six male students on multiple occasions between 2013 and 2014. The alleged sex acts occurred in Dufault's classroom and in her car.
The students were between 14 and 15 years old at the time of the incidents, prosecutors said.
Her attorney, Timothy Smith, has claimed Dufault suffers from frontal lobe syndrome, which he says left her vulnerable to the students' "over-aggressive behavior." Dufault developed the syndrome after brain surgery she underwent following complications due to her first pregnancy, Smith said.
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
