Fairview man charged with child sexual assault after multi-agency investigation

Fairview man charged with child sexual assault after multi-agency investigation

HACKENSACK, NJ – Bergen County authorities have arrested a Fairview man accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a juvenile over a 14-month period, Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Thursday.

The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Carlos M. Leon, was taken into custody February 2 with the assistance of the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Fairview Police Department.

According to investigators, the Fairview Police Department contacted county detectives earlier that day after receiving a report of sexual assaults involving a minor. The subsequent investigation determined that Leon allegedly assaulted and endangered the juvenile on multiple occasions between November 2024 and January 2026 in Fairview.

Leon has been charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested in Carlstadt and transported to the Bergen County Jail, where he is being held pending a detention hearing in Superior Court in Hackensack.

Prosecutor praises coordinated law enforcement response

Prosecutor Musella commended the collaboration among agencies involved in the arrest, including the Fairview, Carlstadt, and East Rutherford Police Departments and the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team. “This case demonstrates the importance of coordination among local and county law enforcement in responding swiftly to protect vulnerable victims,” Musella said.

• Carlos M. Leon, 44, of Fairview, charged with multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault
• Arrested February 2 in Carlstadt following countywide law enforcement operation
• Remains in Bergen County Jail pending detention hearing in Hackensack

Authorities emphasized that the charges are accusations and that Leon is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation remains ongoing under the direction of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit.

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