Lyft Driver Guilty Of Sexual Assaulting Child, Passaic Co. Jury Rules

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A rideshare driver has been convicted of sexually assaulting an underage girl who had been a passenger in his car, the Passaic County Prosecutor announced on Thursday.

Officials said 43-year-old Julio Mejia, of Wharton, was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault and second-degree luring or enticing a child on Sept. 20, following a jury trial. The Morris County resident was an active member of the armed services at the time of his arrest, said Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes.

The victim said a Lyft driver, later identified as Mejia, picked her up Aug. 30, 2019, in Prospect Park, and sexually assaulted her.

The minor victim came forward to police on Nov. 19, 2019, and said that Mejia had continued to interact with her via text messaging for several weeks before sexually assaulting her for the second time.

Valdes said the jury convicted Mejia of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree sexual assault and second-degree luring or enticing a child.

Mejia faces more than 25 years in prison, registration as a sex offender, and life parole supervision under Megan's Law. A sentencing hearing is scheduled before Judge Joseph A. Portelli on Feb. 9, 2024. Mejia will remain in the Passaic County Jail pending his sentence, the prosecutor's office said.