NJ man who kidnapped and raped his ex-girlfriend found guilty

🔴 Dover man convicted on 17 counts

🔴 He tried to convince victim to change her story

🔴 Records show several prior convictions

DOVER — A Morris County man has been convicted of a multitude of offenses for kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and sexually assaulting her.

Jessie Meneses, 37, was found guilty on 17 counts Friday after a six-day trial in Morris County Superior Court.

The former Dover resident was convicted of two counts of first-degree kidnapping, three counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, three counts of second-degree sexual assault, three counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

He will be sentenced on March 8.

Victim kidnapped in Randolph

Meneses abducted his ex-girlfriend in Randolph on Sept. 5, 2021, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

He sexually assaulted her inside his vehicle and then drove her from Randolph to his hometown of Dover.

Once they were in Dover, the victim was able to get away and she called the police.

Tried to convince victim to change her story

For at least six months, Meneses tried to convince the victim to change her story or withdraw from the criminal case.

Officials said that from April 1 through Oct. 5, 2022, he communicated with several family members and tried to get them to speak with the victim for him.

His attempts led to convictions on three additional third-degree charges including terroristic threats, witness tampering, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.

Records show several prior convictions

Meneses has a history of harassment, according to state Department of Corrections records.

He was sentenced on Aug. 11, 2022 to three years in prison for a series of incidents dating back to 2018.

The offenses included two counts of harassment and one count each of theft, drug possession, and eluding. He also had a count of having false government documents in 2014. Specific details of the incidents were not clear from court records.

Meneses was transferred to Morris County Correctional Facility on June 14, 2023.

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