FLEMINGTON, NJ (Hunterdon County) – A Hunterdon County man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual assault, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson.
Jose V. Jarquin-Jarquin, 43, of High Bridge Borough was sentenced to 25 years in state prison term pursuant to the Jessica Lunsford and No Early Release Acts. He will have to serve all 25 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole, after which he will be subject to Megan’s Law Registration and Parole Supervision for Life, Robeson said.
The sentence follows an approximately four-week trial in which a jury a returned guilty verdicts on Oct. 25, 2023 for first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The guilty verdicts stem from a joint investigation by the High Bridge Police Department and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (HCPO), with assistance from the New Jersey State Police, into a report of sexual assault involving an 11-year-old girl, Robeson said.
The girl disclosed the sexual assaults perpetrated by Jarquin-Jarquin to friends and a school counselor, which prompted an investigation that led to his arrest, Robeson said.
“Aggravated sexual assault of a victim who is less than thirteen years old is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. The enhanced sentence today reinforces my office’s commitment to protecting Hunterdon County’s children and deterring future offenders, which is consistent with the purpose of the Jessica Lunsford Act,” Robseon said.
After sentencing, Senior Assistant Prosecutor Jessica L. Cardone — who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State alongside Assistant Prosecutor Tina DiFranco — stated, “Children are the foundation of our community and the most vulnerable population. It is vital to hold those adults accountable who abuse and exploit children for their own sexual gratification.”
Jarquin-Jarquin was represented by Patrick C. O’Hara, Jr. of Del Vecchio O’Hara, P.C.
