Hopatcong NJ police recently arrested a 22-year-old man who allegedly had sexual relations with a minor.
According to authorities, the victim in the case was under the age of 16. Since the age of consent for sexual relations in New Jersey is typically 16, the suspect was arrested and charged with sexual assault.
A Hopatcong detective received several reports that the suspect was engaging in illegal sexual relations with the victim. Investigators then conducted interviews with a number of individuals, including both the suspect and the victim.
Following the interviews and a preliminary investigation, police determined that enough evidence existed for the suspect to be placed under arrest.
The suspect has been charged with second degree sexual assault and second degree endangering the welfare of a child.
At this time, Hopatcong New Jersey police were unable to provide any additional information about the suspect or the case because the investigation remains ongoing.
It is unclear exactly how old the victim was when the sexual conduct allegedly occurred. Authorities would only say that the victim was less than 16 years old.
Additionally, police did not want to reveal any details about the “dating relationship” between the suspect and the victim because doing so would potentially violate the privacy rights of the victim.
If the suspect is convicted of second degree sexual assault, he could potentially be sentenced to 5–10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
After being arrested and charged, the suspect was transported to the Sussex County Jail in Newton, NJ. He is being held at the facility in lieu of $140,000 bail. Additionally, there is no 10 percent cash option.
To learn more about this case, view the NJ.com article entitled “22-Year-Old Had Sex with a Minor, Hopatcong Cops Say.”
