A Lodi NJ man has been sentenced to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

The 41-year-old suspect was originally charged with aggravated sexual assault almost a decade ago. He had been accused of sexually assaulting the young female victim on multiple occasions.

In 2007, the suspect pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated sexual assault. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to serve 5 years in state prison.

However, prior to being formally sentenced, the suspect fled the country and went to his native Jamaica.

While law enforcement tried to find the suspect, he appeared on the Bergen County “Most Wanted” fugitive list. Authorities eventually tracked down the suspect in Jamaica. Sometime later, U.S. Marshals extradited him back to the United States so that he could be sentenced for the sexual assault charges.

The sentencing hearing recently occurred in Bergen County Superior Court, which is located in Hackensack, New Jersey. During sentencing, the suspect’s defense attorney told the superior court judge that his client felt remorse prior to being caught and had desperately wanted to turn himself in.

Additionally, the victim wrote a letter to the court and asked the judge to be lenient when sentencing the suspect. She also appeared in the superior court during sentencing and again implored the judge to not be too harsh on the suspect.

Nonetheless, the superior court handed down the maximum allowable sentence of 5 years in New Jersey State Prison. As a result, the suspect will be required to serve at least 4 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Moreover, the suspect will have to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law after his release from prison.

For additional information about this case, view the NorthJersey.com article entitled “Longtime Bergen County Most Wanted Fugitive Gets 5 Years in Sexual Assault of Child.”