A rideshare driver from Morris County was convicted Wednesday of sexually assaulting a juvenile he picked up while driving for Lyft, authorities said.
Julio Mejia, 43, of Wharton, was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault and related crimes following a jury trial in Passaic County.
Prosecutors said Mejia picked up the minor victim on Aug. 30, 2019, in Prospect Park, and sexually assaulted her.
The driver stayed in touch with the victim via text messages over the next several weeks before sexually assaulting her a second time, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes.
The Prospect Park Police Department received a report on Nov. 19, 2019, that the victim had been assaulted by the rideshare driver.
“Thereafter, evidence was collected, and multiple witnesses were interviewed, including the child victim,” Valdes said.
At the time of the assaults, Mejia was a member of the military, Valdes said.
In addition to sexual assault, the jury convicted Mejia of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, third-degree luring, and second-degree luring or enticing a child, after a jury trial in Passaic County, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Mejia faces more than 25 years in prison and registration as a sex offender under Megan’s Law when he is sentenced on Feb. 9, 2024.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.