A 48-year-old Bergen County man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who he met at a Union City church festival, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On Sunday at approximately 8:00 p.m., members of the Union City Police Department contacted the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding a
possible sexual assault, Suarez said in a statement.
The sexual assault was reported to the Union City Police by the mother of a 14-year-old female after her daughter allegedly met an unknown male at a church festival in Union City, officials said.
The two exchanged phone numbers and later that evening, the man enticed the teenager to meet him again. After meeting, they entered a nearby building on 14th Street where the alleged assault occurred, authorities said.
The male, later identified as Wilfredo Hernandez, 48, of Ridgefield Park, was arrested by
members of the Special Victims Unit at approximately 3 a.m. today at the Union City Police Department. He was arrested without incident, police said.
Hernandez has been charged with sexual assault, luring and enticing a child, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child, officials said.
Hernandez was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny pending his first appearance. The HCPO has filed a motion for pretrial detention of the defendant. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, October 3rd.
Additionally, Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit for the investigation and arrest with the assistance of the Union City Police Department.
