Man Convicted Of Luring, Endangering Teen In Union County

ELIZABETH, NJ — A Staten Island man was found guilty of luring a teenager in Elizabeth to his car and initiating sexual contact with her a little more than three years ago.

Vincent O’Leary, 48, of Staten Island was convicted on charges of second-degree luring, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact following a three-week trial before state Superior Court Judge William Daniel and 25 minutes of jury deliberation, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

On Oct. 1, 2014, O’Leary approached the 14-year-old victim, who was walking through a restaurant parking lot on U.S. Routes 1&9 (Spring Street) in Elizabeth, and offered her a ride in his car, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutors David Hummel and Michele Buckley, who prosecuted the case.

The victim, who was running late for an after-school program, accepted and once she was inside the vehicle, O’Leary began asking her a series of sexually charged questions, Hummel and Buckley said.

O’Leary then asked the victim to engage in sexual activity with him and when she refused, he grabbed her arm and forced her to touch him inappropriately, according to the report.

He then dropped off the girl on Dickinson Street in Elizabeth without further incident.

O’Leary was identified as a suspect and arrested following a three-week investigation. O'Leary was also found to have been registered as a sex offender in New York following a conviction for a nearly identical crime, according to authorities.

O’Leary was remanded following the jury’s verdict on Thursday. Sentencing has been tentatively scheduled for Feb. 2, 2018.

O’Leary could face five to 10 years in state prison on the second-degree criminal charges.

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