Prosecutors Charge Man With Sex Crime Involving Juvenile In Union City

According to Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello, a man has been charged with sex crimes involving a juvenile in Union City four years ago.

On Monday, July 13, 2026, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested an 81-year-old male after investigating a sex crime involving a juvenile female.

Mamdouh Ghattas, of Williamstown, is charged with Sexual Assault by Contact, a crime of the second degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a crime of the third degree. He was taken into custody by the Port Authority Police Department at Newark Liberty International Airport and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.

Mello says the crimes occurred in June 2022 when the victim was 11 years old. The victim reported the defendant made inappropriate contact with her at a flea market in Union City.

Prosecutor Mello credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Port Authority Police Department with the arrest. Anyone wishing to report a sex crime should call the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit (SVU) at 201-915-1234. The above charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.