The principal of Denville's Valleyview Middle School was charged with attempting to sexually assault a minor and other related offenses after telling police he had been planning to have sex with a 16-year-old former student, according to court documents.

Paul J. Iantosca, 52, of Randolph, was arrested after the student went with another witness to township police Thursday to report that the principal had been sending him messages on Snapchat, a social media platform, that were "sexual in nature," according to a probable cause affidavit.

The student is a male resident of Denville, a law enforcement employee familiar with the case said. The student told police he became friends with Iantosca on Snapchat after the principal visited the boy's workplace the night before.

On Thursday, while the boy was in school, the principal sent him Snapchat messages saying he wanted to "have some fun" and see him naked, documents show.

Iantosca told police that he arranged to meet the student in a parking lot to kiss and planned to have oral sex with him "at another location," authorities said in the documents. Court documents say Iantosca had been the student's principal some time before.

The principal asked the boy to meet on Pocono Road near a rugby field. The boy, however, never showed up.

Instead, Scott Tobin of the Denville Police Department met the principal, who was sitting in a vehicle, and took him into custody.

Iantosca was charged with attempting to lure a minor to have sex and attempted sexual assault, both second-degree crimes. He also was charged with third-degree sexual conduct that would impair the morals of a minor.

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Fredric M. Knapp, the Morris County Prosecutor, announced the arrest on Friday in a press release. The prosecutor said that the charges "relate to actions Mr. Iantosca is alleged to have engaged in with a 16 year old former student."

He did not provide details about the alleged actions and did not specify whether the student was a boy or a girl.

Steven Forte, the superintendent of the Denville school district, said in a statement that he was notified about the arrest Thursday evening. Iantosca, he said, was suspended “and is not permitted on school grounds or to have contact with any staff or students.”

Forte said the alleged crimes did not take place on school grounds and did not involve any students who currently attend the district’s Pre-K-8 schools.

Iantosca initially was held at the Morris County Correctional Facility but was released on his own recognizance Friday pending a court hearing, which has not yet been scheduled, authorities said.

Cars were gathered at Iantosca’s home in Randolph where the people inside said they had no comment and did not identify themselves.

Iantosca has been working as an educator in New Jersey for 27 years and was making $156,000 annually, according to state records. Haledon school officials said he had been a principal there from 2000 to 2011.

On Friday, police stood at the entrance of the Valleyview school, allowing parents inside and keeping media outlets at a distance from the building.

Forte said that he would not go into details about the case, saying it is a personnel matter, but added that “in the five years I have been here nothing like this has happened before.”

“All kids are safe and we are working to get through this,” he said. “I am on the campus now. I will be here however long I am needed to get the district through this.”

Forte asked students to “please refrain from posting information on social media.”

“This matter will be handled in a court of law, and remains under investigation,” he said.

Anyone with information relating to these or any related incidents is asked to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6213 or the Denville Police Department at 973-627-4900.

Email: Koloff@northjersey.com

Staff writers Nicholas Katzban and Philip DeVencentis contributed to this article.