A Guttenberg man has been convicted of sexually assaulting two underage girls in instances that spanned between March 2004 and April 2008, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On Friday, Oscar Castaneda, 64, of Guttenberg, was convicted by a Hudson County jury of four counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of terroristic threats, and one count of
count of simple assault, following three days of trial testimony, Suarez said in a statement.
The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before returning their guilty verdict to the
nine-count indictment, where they found Castaneda guilty of sexually assaulting two minor female victims.
The first victim was sexually assaulted multiple times during the time frame of March 2004 through March 2010 when she was age six through age 11. The second victim was sexually assaulted multiple times during the time frame of November 2013 through April 2018 when she was age five through age 10, authorities said.
Castaneda faces up to 20 years in state prison for the aggravated sexual assault of the first
victim and could face up to life in prison for the aggravated sexual assault of the second
victim since the acts occurred after the enactment of the Jessica Lunsford Act.
The Jessica Lunsford Act carries a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence. The convictions will also subject the defendant to registration under Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.
Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Arre presided over the trial. Arre is scheduled to sentence the defendant on January 10, 2020.
