Bloomfield Man Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Assault In Long Branch

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield man who pleaded guilty to committing sexual assault on a child in Long Branch now faces a mandatory 25 years in New Jersey state prison, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Monmouth County prosecutors said that Jaime Mauricio Leon, 34, was charged with aggravated sexual assault and possession of child sexual assault images. In addition to Leon, another woman allegedly took part in the incidents, which took place in Long Branch on June 15 and 16 in 2017.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, a witness told Long Branch police officers that he looked into a bedroom window and saw a man and a woman “committing sexual acts” on a minor on June 16, 2017.

The witness provided police with evidence of the assault, which apparently took place while the child was asleep, prosecutors said.

After conducting a joint investigation, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Long Branch Police Department identified the male suspect as Leon, and determined that the female suspect – who was unnamed in a press statement – knew the child.

“Additional investigation revealed further evidence that Leon and the female suspect had planned the attack on the child, and that both were in possession of child sexual abuse images,” prosecutors stated.

Authorities arrested Leon in June 2017 with the assistance of federal law enforcement officials at his job site in Fort Lee.

The case against Leon’s female co-defendant remains pending, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that Leon pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated sexual assault and third-degree possession of child pornography. The plea calls for the imposition of a mandatory 25 years in New Jersey state prison when Leon returns for sentencing on Aug. 2. Leon will be required to serve all 25 years without the possibility of parole pursuant to the Jessica Lunsford Act. Additionally, he will be subject to the requirements of Megan’s Law registration and parole supervision for life upon his release from prison.

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