Joseph Lipham, a 40-year old man from Garfield, was arrested at his home yesterday, according to official reports.
His arrest is the result of an incident that is alleged to have transpired on Tuesday (March 5th), when he purportedly appeared at the victim’s room in La Quinta Inn on Two Bridges Road in Fairfield, identified himself to her as a police officer, and told her that she would be arrested if she did not have sexual relations with him.
Fearing arrest, she complied. After he left the room, she was able to get his license plate number.
Lipham was subsequently charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer. As of last night, he was being held at the Fairfield Police Department in lieu of $100,000 bail.
For more information, see the Star-Ledger article entitled, “Man impersonates a police officer in Fairfield hotel room, demands sex, police say.”
According to online records, Lipham is a registered sex offender. He has previously been convicted of Attempted Sexual Assault in Bergen County, which likely subjected him to the conditions of Community Supervision for Life and mandatory Megan’s Law registration. These new charges may serve as a basis for him to be violated on the terms of his supervision.
Notwithstanding, if convicted on these new sexual assault charges, he faces between 5 and 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, likely with 85% that must be served before he will become eligible for parole as per the No Early Release Act (“NERA”) for violent offenders. He may also face a consecutive sentence on the impersonation charge.
