Pair Bribed Child To Hide Passaic Co. Sex Abuse: Prosecutor

PASSAIC, NJ — A man was charged with various sexual offenses that took place from 2013-20, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. Then he and a woman bribed a child and a witness to try and get them to recant their statements, authorities said.

Sergio Bernal, of Passaic, and Maricella Gonzalez, of Garfield, were indicted on several offenses, officials announced Wednesday. A grand jury returned an indictment against Bernal for several sexual offenses against a child that they say took place at multiple homes throughout Passaic from October 2013 to August 2020.

After Bernal's initial charges, he and Gonzalez conspired to tamper with and bribe the child victim and another witness, according to the prosecutor's office. The pair offered a sum of money and financial assistance with a car and tuition to the witness and victim in exchange for recanting their statements to law enforcement, authorities said.

Bernal's indictment included three counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, three counts of second-degree sexual assault, seven counts of second-degree child endangerment, one count of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of second-degree hindering apprehension and one count of third-degree terroristic threats.

He was also indicted for offenses related to a conspiracy arising out of Paterson to tamper with and bribe witnesses, and also contacting the same witnesses in violation of a no-contact order a Passaic County judge issued him, the prosecutor's office said. Bernal was indicted on two counts of witness tampering, two counts of conspiracy to commit witness tampering, two counts of bribery of a witness, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a witness, three counts of contempt and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

Gonzalez was indicted on two counts of witness tampering, two counts of conspiracy to commit witness tampering, two counts of bribery of a witness, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery against a witness and one count of tampering with evidence.

Bernal is currently detained in the Passaic County Jail, where he will remain pending trial.

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