Police arrested a Dover NJ man accused of hiding his HIV status while sexually assaulting a teen girl many times over the course of five years.
According to authorities, the suspect committed the sexual assaults between March 2011 and January 2016. When the alleged sexual offenses first started, the victim was just 13 years old.
Officials learned of the allegations when the victim, who recently turned 18, came forward. She told investigators that the suspect had sexually assaulted her over a five-year period.
Police also spoke with the suspect, who allegedly admitted to having sex with the victim. The suspect also reportedly told investigators that he has the AIDS virus and that he neglected to inform the victim.
At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office arrested the suspect.
The 42-year-old suspect has been charged with multiple sex crimes, including aggravated sexual assault on a child, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sexual contact, and having an HIV sexually transmitted disease while committing an act of sexual penetration.
If the suspect is convicted on the most serious charges of aggravated sexual assault, he faces severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2(a), aggravated sexual assault of a minor is a first degree crime and carries a potential penalty of 10-20 years in New Jersey State Prison.
After being placed under arrest and charged, the suspect was remanded to the Morris County Jail in Morristown, New Jersey. He was being held at the correctional facility on a massive $300K bail amount.
If the suspect is eventually able to secure his release from police custody by posting bail, he will be barred from having any contact with the victim because a Morris County Superior Court judge issued a restraining order against him. Moreover, the restraining order prohibits the suspect from having contact with anyone under the age of 16 while the charges are pending.
For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Man with HIV Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen Girl for 5 Years.”
