Crime & Safety

Bergen County Man Sexually Assaulted Pre-Teen In His Care, Prosecutors Say

A Bergen County man was arrested Tuesday for sexually assaulting a child under 13, officials said.

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A Lyndhurst man was arrested Tuesday for sexually assaulting a child, prosecutors said.

Jose E. Castaneda, 40, was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, said the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday.

Prosecutors said that on May 15, the New York City Police Department contacted Bergen County prosecutors regarding the alleged sexual assault of a minor that had occurred in Lyndhurst.

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A subsequent investigation determined that Castaneda had "engaged in sexual conduct in 2025 with a juvenile," prosecutors said.

The complaint in the case says that the victim was under 13 at the time, and that Castaneda intentionally touched her vagina and inner thigh while she was under his care.

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On Tuesday, Castaneda was arrested in Lyndhurst.

He was taken to the Bergen County Jail to await a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, prosecutors said.

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