New Jersey man goes to prison for sexually touching a young girl

A 59-year-old Manville resident will spend several years in prison after being found guilty of sexually touching a young girl two years ago.

After a three-day trial in March, a Somerset County jury convicted Raul Elias of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

On June 14, he was sentenced to four years in prison.

The Somerset County District Attorney’s Office was contacted in March 2022 after a minor reported that she had been groped by a man when she was only eight years old.

Elias was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 years of age through contact with that child and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child through sexual conduct.

In announcing the verdict, Peter Tober of the Superior Court of Somerset County found that Elias had taken little responsibility for his actions.

After his prison sentence, Elias will be on life probation and must register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.

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