A Lyndhurst man is behind bars after prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a child in 2025. Police arrested 40-year-old Jose Castaneda in Lyndhurst on May 26, and he remains held at the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack. Prosecutors say the alleged victim is a girl under 13 who had been in Castaneda's care.
Allegations and arrest
According to Lyndhurst Daily Voice, the New York City Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit on May 15, triggering an inquiry in Lyndhurst. Investigators concluded that Castaneda engaged in sexual conduct with the juvenile in 2025.
A criminal complaint obtained by the outlet alleges Castaneda touched the girl's inner thigh and vagina while she was in his care. Prosecutors charged him on May 26 with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and say he was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending arraignment.
What the charges mean
Second-degree sexual assault is a felony-level offense in New Jersey. It covers certain types of sexual contact with a child under 13 under New Jersey’s sexual assault statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2, as compiled by Justia.
The state’s endangering statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4, which is also summarized on Justia, makes it a crime for a caretaker to engage in sexual conduct that would “impair or debauch” a child’s morals. It can also be charged as a second-degree offense. Those laws spell out what prosecutors must prove at trial and the range of penalties that can follow a felony conviction.
How the county handled the probe
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit typically works with local departments and federal agencies on cases involving juvenile victims, and the office’s press archive reflects multiple similar prosecutions this year. County press statements routinely note that criminal complaints are only allegations and that every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Immigration status noted
According to Lyndhurst Daily Voice, Castaneda is a Honduran national, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not placed a detainer on him as of the outlet’s report. Any immigration enforcement would be handled separately from the state criminal case.
What's next
The case remains under active investigation, and prosecutors are expected to present the charges in Bergen County Superior Court. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Crime Tips line at (201) 226-5532, as listed in the county’s press archive. As the county regularly stresses in its press releases, the filing of charges is an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
