Disabled Man Gets Suspended Sentence, Sex Offender Therapy in Leonia NJ Sexual Assault Case
A developmentally disabled Leonia NJ man who sexually assaulted a three-year-old boy has been ordered to undergo sex offender therapy.
The 19-year-old defendant, who is afflicted with cerebral palsy, impaired speech, and other developmental disabilities, fondled the victim at a Leonia firehouse in 2013. According to authorities, the defendant admitted to investigators that he forcibly placed the victim’s hand on his private parts.
Police eventually placed the suspect under arrest and charged him with a sexual offense. He then spent 15 months in jail awaiting trial before he finally decided to plead guilty to second degree sexual assault.
Although a second degree sexual assault conviction usually carries a mandatory prison sentence, the defendant managed to avoid prison time. Instead, he was sentenced to a 5-year suspended sentence. The sentence was handed down as part of a plea agreement that took into account the defendant’s developmental disabilities.
The plea agreement includes conditions that are meant to prevent the defendant from victimizing anyone else in the future. The defendant will have to register as a Megan’s Law sex offender and will not be allowed to have unsupervised interaction with individuals under the age of 18. Beyond that, the defendant will have to remain at the South Jersey treatment facility until his treatment has concluded. During that time, he will not be allowed to leave the facility absent official supervision.
The defendant will have to appear in Morris County Superior Court every six months for a hearing to review his conduct. If the defendant fails to adhere to any of the stipulations of his release, he could be required to serve time in New Jersey State Prison.
Sometime after the criminal charges were filed against the defendant, the victim’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the Leonia Fire Department. They eventually settled the civil matter for more than $300,000.
For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “No Prison Time for Disabled Leonia Man in Child Assault Case.”
