Vernon man charged with sex assault of juvenile in fair lawn dating to early 1990s — Photo 61814404 © Jiri Hera | Dreamstime.com

Hackensack, NJ — A Vernon Township man has been arrested on multiple sexual assault charges stemming from allegations that he repeatedly assaulted a juvenile in Fair Lawn during the early 1990s, Bergen County prosecutors announced.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Peter F. Knipe, 73, was arrested Thursday following a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Fair Lawn Police Department.

Investigation began in May

According to prosecutors, the Fair Lawn Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on May 26 regarding allegations that a juvenile had been sexually assaulted years earlier.

Investigators determined that Knipe allegedly sexually assaulted the juvenile on multiple occasions in Fair Lawn between Dec. 2, 1990, and Dec. 31, 1991, authorities said.

Multiple felony charges filed

Following the investigation, Knipe was charged with:

First-degree aggravated sexual assault.
Three counts of second-degree sexual assault.

Authorities said Knipe was arrested in Fair Lawn on July 16 and was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.

Presumption of innocence

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that the charges are accusations only.

“Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” the office said in a statement.

Musella also thanked the Fair Lawn Police Department for its assistance in the investigation.

Source: Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

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