Man who sexually abused Morris Co. child for years sentenced to prison

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – A Morris County man who sexually abused a child for a decade has been found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in the New Jersey State Prison.

Juan A. Fernandez, 61, a resident of Montville’s Towaco section, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault after being accused of sexually abusing a child over a 10-year period, authorities said with.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and other law enforcement officials announced the verdict Wednesday. In addition to his prison sentence, Fernandez will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be placed under probation supervision for life.

The final five years of his sentence will also be served at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, according to prosecutors.

The police said the investigation into the reported attacks began in March 2024.

“It is alleged that the defendant performed multiple sexual acts on a juvenile male victim from the age of six until the age of sixteen,” officials said.

The Montville Township Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit cooperated in this investigation.