Hackensack woman charged for allowing child sex abuse to continue
Hackensack, NJ – A 42-year-old Hackensack woman has been arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after investigators say she knew about ongoing sexual assaults involving a juvenile and failed to intervene.
Jennifer Garcia-Mota was taken into custody last Friday in Paramus following a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Hackensack Police Department. Authorities say she had prior knowledge of past sexual assaults against a juvenile and knowingly allowed the abuse to continue.
The investigation began in early November, when Hackensack Police contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office regarding allegations of historical sexual abuse involving a juvenile victim. Prosecutors allege Garcia-Mota was aware of the assaults but did not report or stop them.
She has been charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child under New Jersey statute 2C:24-4a(2). Following her arrest, she was booked into Bergen County Jail, where she remains pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
Officials have not released details about the identity of the victim or others involved, citing the sensitivity of the case. Prosecutor Mark Musella emphasized that the charge is an accusation and Garcia-Mota is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
No additional arrests have been announced, and the case remains under investigation.
Key Points
- Jennifer Garcia-Mota, 42, was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child in Bergen County
- Investigators say she knowingly allowed ongoing sexual abuse of a juvenile to continue
- She was remanded to Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance