On Thursday, A 36-Year-Old Passaic Man Was Convicted For Sexually Assaulting A Child Over 6 Years
Saturday, June 29, 2024, 8:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
PASSAIC, NJ.- On Thursday, June 27, 2024, a jury sitting in Passaic County, New Jersey found Sergio Bernal, 36, of Passaic, New Jersey guilty of 14 counts of sex crimes and witness tampering in connection with the repeated sexual assaults of a child over 6 years in Passaic, New Jersey, beginning when the child was ten years old.
According to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, on August 5, 2020, Detectives of the Passaic Police Department contacted the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit after a 16-year-old child came forward and reported being sexually assaulted in Passaic, New Jersey. an investigation was initiated.
During the investigation, Detectives interviewed the child and multiple witnesses. During the interview, the child reported being sexually assaulted by Bernal on multiple occasions between October 2013 and August 2020, at multiple residences in Passaic, New Jersey.
Based on the investigation, Bernal was taken into custody and charged with multiple sex crimes against the child. Detectives further learned that after Bernal was taken into custody he attempted to bribe several of the witnesses to recant their statements to Detectives. Following the learning of the bribery attempts, Bernal was additionally charged with bribery and witness tampering.
Following a trial in Passaic County Superior Court, on June 27, 2024, the jury convicted Bernal of 18 counts of first, second, and third-degree sex crimes and bribery offenses, including three counts of first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault.
Sentencing in the matter has been scheduled for October 29, 2024, before the Honorable Marilyn C. Clark, Judge of the Superior Court of Passaic County. Due to the nature and time span of the offenses, Mr. Bernal will face the potential of spending the rest of his life in New Jersey State Prison.
Bernal remains detained in the Bergen County Jail and following sentencing, he will be transferred to the New Jersey State Department of Corrections to serve his sentence. If released on parole after serving at least 25 years in prison, Bernal will be subject to parole supervision for life and will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Megan's Law requirements.
FILED UNDER: JUNE 29, 2024: LAW, LOCAL, PASSAIC: