HACKENSACK, NJ – A 43-year-old man from West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, has been arrested and charged with multiple child-luring and sexual offenses following a yearlong investigation by Bergen County authorities, Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as Erickson Ledesma, was taken into custody on February 4 after turning himself in to law enforcement in Paramus. The charges stem from an incident in April 2025 in which Ledesma allegedly lured a juvenile into his vehicle and committed acts of criminal sexual contact in several North Jersey towns.
Investigators say Ledesma approached the victim on April 30, 2025, and lured the child into his vehicle with the intent to commit a criminal offense. He then allegedly assaulted the child, impersonated the victim’s father at a business in Elmwood Park, and later repeated the impersonation at a separate location in Guttenberg the next day.
Ledesma faces second-degree luring, two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, and two counts of fourth-degree impersonation. The charges were filed in April 2025 following a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Wallington Police Department.
Suspect held pending court appearance in Hackensack
Authorities said Ledesma was booked into the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Superior Court in Hackensack. The case is being prosecuted under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Chief Ireneusz Kluska of the Wallington Police Department.
Prosecutor Musella thanked the Wallington and Guttenberg Police Departments for their assistance, noting that the case underscores the importance of interagency collaboration in protecting minors from exploitation.
• Erickson Ledesma, 43, of West Hazleton, PA, charged with luring and child endangerment
• Allegedly impersonated victim’s father during encounters in Elmwood Park and Guttenberg
• Arrested February 4 after surrendering to Bergen County authorities in Paramus
Officials emphasized that the charges are accusations and that Ledesma is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.