A developmentally disabled man from Leonia NJ has been ordered to undergo sex offender therapy as part of a suspended sentence for fondling a three-year-old boy.

The 19-year-old defendant, who suffers from cerebral palsy as well as impaired speech and other developmental disabilities, committed the illegal sexual conduct at a Leonia firehouse in 2013. According to prosecutors, the defendant admitted to placing the victim’s hand on his private parts.

The suspect was eventually arrested and charged with a sex crime. He spent 15 months in jail awaiting trial before pleading guilty to second degree sexual assault, which typically carries mandatory prison time.

The judge in the case sentenced the defendant to 5 years in prison, but immediately suspended the sentence. This was in line with an agreement reached by the defendant and prosecutors prior to sentencing. The plea deal took into account the defendant’s disabilities.

The plea agreement includes stipulations aimed at preventing the defendant from victimizing anyone else in the future. As part of the sentence, the defendant will also be required to register as a Megan’s Law sex offender and cannot have unsupervised interaction with anyone under the age of 18. This parole supervision will last for the rest of the defendant’s life.

Moreover, the defendant will not be allowed to leave a South Jersey treatment facility without official supervision.

The Morris County Superior Court judge who handed down the sentence will hold a hearing every six months to review the defendant’s conduct. If the defendant violates any of the conditions of his release, he could end up in New Jersey State Prison.

After the criminal charges were filed against the defendant, the victim’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the Leonia Fire Department. The civil suit was settled late last year for more than $300,000.

For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “No Prison Time for Disabled Leonia Man in Child Assault Case.”