Jersey City Man Faces Multiple Sex Crime Charges Following Special Victims Unit Arrest

43-year-old local resident charged with various degrees of sexual and aggravated assault

JERSEY CITY, NJ – On Friday, July 14, 2023, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit (SVU) arrested Vernard Doe, 43, from Jersey City, on multiple charges of sexual crimes. The alleged crimes involved a 29-year-old woman and occurred within a building on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City. The victim and Doe were acquainted, according to the reports.

The charges against Doe include first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault on a Physically Helpless Person, second-degree Aggravated Assault, second-degree Sexual Assault by Force or Coercion, and first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault During the Commission of an Aggravated Assault. These crimes are defined under the N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(7), N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2c(1), and N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(3) respectively.

After his arrest at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus, Doe was moved to the Hudson County Correctional Facility, where he will remain pending his first court appearance. The State has also filed a Detention Motion, tentatively slated for Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez acknowledged the SVU’s efforts in the investigation and subsequent arrest, with valuable assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. She encouraged any individuals wishing to report a sex crime to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit (SVU) at 201-915-1234.

Prosecutor Suarez emphasized that these charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.