Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announces the arrest of Valerio Almonte-Espinal, 39, from Paterson.
According to Prosecutor Valdes, Mr. Almonte-Espinal was arrested on August 28, after an investigation conducted by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit. Mr. Almonte-Espinal is charged with Sexual Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Prosecutor Valdes said that on August 27, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office received information from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency regarding a twelve-year-old child who disclosed acts of sexual assault by Mr. Almonte-Espinal.
According to Prosecutor Valdes, Special Victims Unit detectives interviewed the victim and multiple witnesses.
The investigation revealed that Mr. Almonte-Espinal sexually assaulted the child at a residence in the City of Paterson in May when the child was eleven years old.
According to Prosecutor Valdes, Mr. Almonte-Espinal is currently detained in the Passaic County Jail. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a Motion for Pretrial Detention which will be heard by a Superior Court judge this week.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident or other incidents regarding this individual to contact them on their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO.