NJ man found guilty of sexually assaulting 7-year-old girl

LONG BRANCH — A 54-year-old Monmouth County man is facing 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.

According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, the charges against Edgar Mejia, 54, of Long Branch, stem from an incident in July 2014 that took place at a home in Eatontown. Police say the young girl was at the home of a relative when the assault took place. The girl was alone in a bedroom with Mejia when authorities say he "touched the victim’s intimate parts and committed an act of sexual penetration on her."

Later that evening, authorities say the victim told her mother about the incident. the girl was then examined at a hospital at which point the Eatontown Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Special Victims Bureau launched an investigation. Mejia was subsequently arrested on July 21, 2014.

Mejia was found guilty of first degree aggravated sexual assault and third degree endangering the welfare of a child, the prosecutor's office said.

When Mejia is sentenced on March 17, 2017, he faces 25 years to life in state prison on the aggravated assault charge. Authorities say that pursuant to the provisions of the Jessica Lunsford Act, he will be required to serve 25 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. He also faces an additional sentence of 3 to 5 years in state prison on the child endangerment charge.

Upon his release from prison, Mejia will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law and will be on lifetime parole supervision.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.