Asbury Park Man Faces Life Term After Conviction For Child Sex Assault

FREEHOLD, NJ — Julian B. Hart of Asbury Park has been found guilty of sexual assault of a juvenile in 2014 and 2015, when Hart was already a registered sex offender, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

A Monmouth County jury on Dec. 7, in a trial before Superior Court Judge Richard W. English, found Hart, 38, guilty of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child for the possession of child sexual abuse materials, said Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.

Sentencing has been scheduled for April 28, 2023, at which time Hart, under the Jessica Lunsford Act, faces a sentence of up to life in prison, the prosecutor's office said. Jessica Lunsford was a young Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and murdered in February 2005 by a previously convicted sex offender.

Hart will be subject to Megan’s Law and parole supervision for life, the prosecutor's office said in a news release.

According to the prosecutor's office, the charges stem from an investigation by the Asbury Park Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau, following a report made by the victim in the summer of 2021.

The prosecutor's office said the investigation showed that Hart repeatedly sexually abused the victim, who was under the age of 12, on multiple occasions from Sept. 27, 2014 through Dec. 16, 2015.

Hart was arrested and charged in August of 2021. He was indicted on Oct. 22, 2021.

The investigation also revealed that Hart was already on Megan’s Law and parole supervision for life when these acts occurred, the prosecutor's office said. Hart was convicted in January 2009 on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for engaging in sexual conduct with two juveniles, according to state police records.

The case was assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Dugan. Hart is represented by Michael Kuhns of Lawrence Township.

Anyone who may have information about Hart can contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Joseph Pahopin at 800-533-7443 or Asbury Park Police Detective James R. Crawford
at 732-774-1300.

Anyone who feels the need to remain anonymous but has information about a crime can submit a tip to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling the confidential telephone tip-line at 1-800-
671-4400; by downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app (available on iOS and Android -
https://www.p3tips.com/1182), by calling 800-671-4400 or by going to the website.