Byram police

August 15 The Byram Township Police Department charged Shane Ogden with first degree Aggravated Sexual Assault, second degree Sexual Assault and third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Ogden committed these offenses between 1998 and 2000 on a child who was under the age of 13 at the time. Ogden was served with these charges at Avenel State Prison where he is currently serving a sentence for other charges. August 16 The Byram Township Police Department responded to a reported motor vehicle accident on Forest Lakes Drive. When patrols arrived, they spoke to Steven P. Downing of Byram who was driving the vehicle. While speaking to Downing, the officer noticed the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from him and asked him to perform several field sobriety tests, which Downing failed. Downing was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and transported to the station for processing. At the station, Downing failed two breath tests. Downing was charged with the following and released to a friend pending a Byram Twp. Municipal Court date: DWI and Careless Driving. His vehicle was impounded for 12 hours as required by state law. August 19 At 4:15 a.m. the Byram police received a call of a house on fire at 106 Lackawanna Drive. Within minutes Byram patrols arrived on scene and the house was fully involved in flames. Officers attempted to make entry to determine if anyone was inside the house. Due to the severe fire, entry was not made. It was later determined that the homeowners were not home at the time of the blaze. Byram Twp. Fire Department responded and with the assistance of Andover Twp., Andover Boro, Stanhope, Netcong and Budd Lake Fire Departments the fire was brought under control. Also responding to the scene was the Lakeland Emergency Squad, the Sussex County Fire Marshal, the Sussex County Prosecutors Office and the State Police Arson Unit. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time. The Byram Township Police Department is announcing that between the dates of Aug. 18 and Sept. 4, the Byram Township Police Department will be participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration program “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” During this time, the police department will have extra patrols on duty to aggressively enforce drunk driving violations that occur within the township. The Byram Township Police Department would like to remind all drivers that driving while intoxicated is dangerous to all drivers and pedestrians on the road and the penalties for driving while Intoxicated include, but are not limited to, fines, insurance surcharges, suspension of one’s driver’s license and possibly incarceration.