A Ridgewood NJ man has been accused of sexually assaulting an underage female more than 20 years ago.

The suspect is a 54-year-old man who lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey. According to law enforcement, the suspect committed the sex crimes numerous times in the early 1990s while serving as the young victim’s gymnastics coach at Eastern Gymnastics Academy in Cranford, NJ.

The sexual abuse allegedly occurred at gyms and private residences in both Cranford and Mays Landing NJ. At the time of the alleged sexual assaults, the victim was under the age of 13.

Earlier this year, the victim came forward with the allegations and wrote a letter to the New Jersey State Police. Law enforcement agencies, including the Cranford Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, subsequently opened an investigation and eventually determined that enough evidence existed to place the suspect under arrest and charge him with aggravated sexual assault.

The suspect is currently being held at the Union County Jail on a bail amount of $75,000. He will have to address the charges at a later date in Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

If the suspect is convicted on the very serious sex crime charges, he could end up spending decades behind bars. Moreover, he would be required to register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life.

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Ex-Gymnastics Coach Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen Athlete.”