Man Who Sexually Abused Morris Co. Child For Years Sentenced To Prison

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A Morris County man who sexually abused a child for a decade has been found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in New Jersey State Prison.

Juan A. Fernandez, 61, a resident of the Towaco section of Montville, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault after being accused of sexually assaulting a child over a period of ten years, authorities said.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and other law enforcement officials announced the sentence on Wednesday. In addition to his prison term, Fernandez will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be placed on parole supervision for life.

The last five years of his sentence will also be served at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, prosecutors said.

The investigation into the reported assaults began in March 2024, police said.

"It is alleged that the defendant performed multiple sexual acts on a juvenile male victim from the time the victim was six years old until he was sixteen years old," officials said.

The Montville Township Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit collaborated on this investigation.