A Mercer County jury has convicted a Hamilton man of repeatedly sexually assaulting a juvenile over a decade.
Jose Membreno-Aguilar, 51, was found guilty March 10 on all counts of an indictment that included 10 counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey.
The victim testified during the trial and described what prosecutors said was a continuing course of sexual abuse by the defendant over a 10-year period.
Out of respect for the victim’s privacy, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said it would not disclose additional details about the crimes.
Mercer County Assistant Prosecutors Brett Berman and Erin Rein represented the state during the two-week trial before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Lytle.
The investigation was led by Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Detectives Natalie Martinez and Gloria Phillips along with Hamilton Police Detective Kevin Krall.
Officials said several other law enforcement and medical professionals also assisted in the case, including MCPO Detective Nadine Elhage, Hamilton Detective Edward Devine, Hamilton officers Ernest Baeza and Alyssa Aquino, Robbinsville Detective Robert Quinn, and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Jessica Ward.
Membreno-Aguilar was represented by attorneys Dominic Cerrito and Samuel DiMatteo.
He is scheduled to be sentenced June 5.
At sentencing, prosecutors said the defendant will be eligible for a sentence ranging from a minimum of 25 years to life in state prison under New Jersey’s Jessica Lunsford Act, which mandates severe penalties for sexual assault crimes committed against children under age 13.
He will also face sex offender registration under Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.
