A 20-year-old Jersey City man is now the third person charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of three female juveniles who met a man through Instagram and made plans to meet him at a Bergen Avenue apartment in July. Quamel Settle was arrested at a residence on Fulton Avenue and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny, where he awaits his first court appearance.
Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello announced that Settle was charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, becoming the third man charged in the case, according to Hudson County View. Two other Jersey City men, 27-year-old Desmar Rivers and 19-year-old Jaquan Robinson, were previously arrested in July and are now co-defendants in the case, per Patch.
Prosecutors said the three girls met a man through Instagram and made plans to meet up with him at the Bergen Avenue apartment. One of the victims was 14 and the other two were 15, the outlet reports. On July 3, the man arranged transportation for the three girls from Union County to Jersey City, where they were sexually assaulted at the apartment, prosecutors said, per the same account.
How the Assault Came to Light
The case surfaced two days later, on July 5, when the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit was notified by Jersey City Medical Center about three minors who had been sexually assaulted over the weekend, Hudson County View and Patch reported. That notification set off the investigation that ultimately led to charges against all three men.
Rivers and Robinson were each charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of prohibited devices, according to NJ.com. Rivers also faces an additional charge of unlawful weapon possession as a previously convicted person, the outlet notes.
Weapons Recovered From the Apartment
A court-authorized search of the Bergen Avenue apartment turned up a handgun, hollow-point bullets, and a large-capacity magazine, NJ.com reported. The weapons were recovered as part of the broader investigation into the alleged assault.
Settle's arrest was carried out with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Jersey City Police Department. Prosecutor Mello credited the task force with the arrest; Jersey City police assisted, and the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit investigated the case.
Anyone with information can contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234.
