Belleville Man Convicted Of Sex Assault On 9-Year-Old

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A jury convicted a Belleville man of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl during a visit to his home, prosecutors announced Monday.

An Essex County jury convicted Jose Santana, 59, of Belleville, for three counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the assault took place when the girl was visiting Santana and his wife at their Belleville home.

Santana forced the victim to watch child pornography and sexually assaulted her. The victim told her mother about the assault, and police later searched Santana’s home, finding videos and photos of child pornography on his laptop computer, prosecutors said.

The victim also testified in court, an action that Assistant Prosecutor Peter Polidoro said required “courage and strength.”

Santana faces 25 years to life in state prison on each of the aggravated sexual assault counts, prosecutors said.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2020.

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