Bloomsbury resident James Ballentine charged with molesting disabled woman

Ballentine, a retired bus driver for the LINK transportation system, had been a volunteer at The Arc of Hunterdon.

A Bloomsbury man who worked as a volunteer at The Arc of Hunterdon County is charged with molesting a mentally disabled woman under the agency’s care, authorities said today.

James Ballentine, 67, of the 100 block of Main Street, is charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Chief of Detectives Dan Hurley reported.

Ballentine was arrested Saturday.

Ballentine, a retired bus driver for the LINK transportation system, had been a volunteer at The Arc of Hunterdon.

Authorities said alert staff members became suspicious of his activities and the amount of time he spent with a mentally disabled female adult patient. The woman used a wheelchair and could not communicate.

An investigation followed and detectives determined Ballentine touched the victim for the purpose of sexual gratification, authorities said.

“This recent arrest is an example of someone preying on those who cannot defend themselves or call for assistance,” Hurley said. “We are grateful to the ARC staff who noticed the defendant acting suspiciously and immediately reporting it to the authorities.”

No one at the rehabilitation center could immediately be reached for comment.

Ballentine is free after posting 10 percent of $25,000 bail, officials said.