NEW JERSEY
The Record
BY KIBRET MARKOS
STAFF WRITER | THE RECORD
A former Passaic priest faces up to 10 years in prison after being convicted Tuesday of sex charges in a case in which he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl, though he was acquitted of the most serious charge against him.
Jose Lopez, 37, showed no emotion as a jury in Superior Court in Paterson found him guilty of luring, child endangerment and criminal sexual contact. The panel found him not guilty of attempted sexual assault.
Passaic County Sheriff’s Officers escorted Lopez out of the courtroom after Judge Sohail Mohammed revoked his bail and ordered him held at the county jail until his sentencing on Nov. 18.
Some of Lopez’s supporters, who filled half of the courtroom, burst into tears and comforted each other after the verdict.
Lisa Squitieri, a Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor, said she was pleased with the verdict but did not comment further.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.