WARREN COUNTY, NJ – Fabian Esparza-Tapia, 35, originally of Salem Twp., Ohio, pled guilty today to rape, a felony of the 1 st degree; gross sexual imposition, a felony of the 3rd degree; sexual battery, a felony of the 3rd degree; and illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a felony of the 5th degree and received 15 years in prison, and was registered a Tier III sex offender by Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge Donald E. Oda, II.
Between the years 2017 through 2020, Esparza-Tapia sexually assaulted a child from ages 12 through 15. The offenses occurred when the victim would visit Esparza-Tapia at his home with her sibling. The sexual assaults were discovered when a family member observed nude photographs of the victim on the victim’s IPad. The victim disclosed that Esparza-Tapia directed her to send the photographs to him. David Fornshell commended Major Brian Tinch, Lt. Chris Peters, Sgt. Brian Hounshell, Detective Brandi Carter, Det. Brian Lewis, Deputy Teresa Gadrow, and Deputy Noah Billmaier of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Det. James Wiles of the Pataskala Police Department, Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Hardman, Victim Witness Director Erika Bourelle, and Legal Assistant Brenda Berry for their work on the case.