According to authorities, a man was arrested in connection with the abduction and Sexual Assault of a Paterson, New Jersey teenager. The man, 33 year-old Juan Carlos Morales-Pedraza was on his way to Chicago when he was stopped by a state trooper on the Ohio Turnpike for a failure to move over violation. During the stop, the trooper observed the passenger to be a 15 year-old girl who turned out to be a child sex slave. According to police, it was also confirmed that the man forced the girl to perform acts on him and that she was being taken to Chicago. Both the man and the girl did not speak English, but once the police entered the girl’s name into the database, they learned that she had been listed as a missing child. They also discovered that Morales-Pedraza had been living in the United States illegally and was previously deported. He is now being held at the Lucas County Jail. Click here to read more at www.foxnews.com.
There now exists 3 types of sexual assault: (1) those akin to the old forcible rape, where the use of force or its equivalent must be proved; (2) those akin to the old statutory rape, where the volition of the victim is irrelevant as it is not what is being protected; and (3) the new hybrid form, where force need not be proved given the situation, but the volition of the victim is still potentially an issue. See State v. Jones, 308 N.J. Super. 174, 187 (App. Div.), certif. den. 156 N.J. 380 (1998).
The state of New Jersey handles Sexual Assault cases extremely seriously, and penalties can be harsh. Sexual Assault is a crime of the Second Degree, punishable by a period between 5 and 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, 85% of which must be served under the No Early Release Act (NERA) before the benefit of parole. Additionally, a Sexual Assault conviction also carries with it the following requirements: Community Supervision for Life, Megans Law Registration, and a psychosexual evaluation (commonly referred to in court as an Avenel evaluation).
If you or a family member is charged with Sexual Assault, you should contact a criminal defense attorney immediately, especially given the potential prison sentence if convicted. Former Morris County Prosecutor, Alissa D. Hascup is skilled and experienced at defending thousands of individuals charged with sexual assault and various other sexual offenses throughout the state of New Jersey. She is committed to ensuring you achieve the best possible outcome for your case. Contact her office for a free consultation about your case. She is available 24/7 at 862-257-1200.
