JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) - A pastor who sexually assaulted two children for several years has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison.
Josue Rodriguez, 62, of Jersey City, will not be eligible for parole as part of the sentence handed down Thursday. He had pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault charges last August as part of a plea deal with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Rodriguez was a pastor and religion teacher at Temple Refugio in Jersey City, and both victims were students in his religion classes. Prosecutors said one victim was abused between the ages of 6 and 9, while the other was between 8 and 15 years old when they were abused,
Rodriguez was arrested in April 2019 after one victim reported the abuse to police. Authorities identified the second victim during a subsequent investigation.
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