Garfield NJ police recently arrested a Paterson man who allegedly engaged in illegal sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl.

According to authorities, the 26-year-old suspect had sex with the underage victim on at least one occasion.

Law enforcement first became aware of the alleged sexual misconduct when the victim’s mother alerted the Garfield Police Department. The mother learned of the allegations after her daughter informed her of the sexual activity.

Garfield police contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, which subsequently sent detectives with the Special Victims Unit to investigate the allegations and interview the victim. During the interview, the victim allegedly provided a detailed description of sexual encounters with the suspect.

Garfield New Jersey police later placed suspect under arrest without incident.

The suspect was charged with multiple sex crimes, including criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child.

If the suspect is eventually convicted on the sex offense charges, he would be subject to significant criminal penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3, anyone who commits an act of sexual contact with an underage victim while using physical force or coercion can potentially be charged with a fourth degree criminal offense. A conviction for fourth degree criminal sexual contact can result in a sentence of up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.

After being arrested and processed, the suspect was transported to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. He is being held at the correctional facility in lieu of $150,000 bail.

For additional information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “Paterson Man Engaged in Sexual Activity with 13-Year-Old, Prosecutor Says.”