A 24-year-old Jersey City man is facing sexual assault and child endangerment charges after authorities say he assaulted a 15-year-old girl at a Sherman Avenue residence in August. Levar Collier was arrested at the Jersey City Heights address and has since been transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny to await his first court appearance.
Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello announced the charges, saying Collier was accused of sexually assaulting the teenager last month, according to Hudson County View. The outlet reports that the victim told investigators she encountered Collier while walking home before the alleged assault took place at the Sherman Avenue home. Mello credited the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit with investigating the case and making the arrest.
What Collier Is Up Against
Collier faces sexual assault and child endangerment charges.
The child endangerment charge Collier also faces carries its own exposure. Endangering the welfare of a child involving allegations of sexual misconduct is a second-degree crime carrying a sentence of five to 10 years.
No Early Release and Lifetime Monitoring
Second-degree sexual assault convictions in New Jersey fall under the No Early Release Act, meaning a convicted defendant must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole, per the breakdown from the Tormey Law Firm. A conviction involving a minor would also trigger mandatory registration under New Jersey's Megan's Law along with Parole Supervision for Life, a post-release monitoring regime overseen by state parole officers, according to Helmer Legal.
What Happens Next in Court
Because New Jersey eliminated cash bail under its 2017 Criminal Justice Reform Act, Collier's path forward runs through a Public Safety Assessment rather than a traditional bail hearing, with a possible pretrial detention hearing to follow in Superior Court, according to the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone.
Acting Prosecutor Mello has led the office since July 31, 2025, when he succeeded 10-year prosecutor Esther Suarez, according to Insider NJ. He previously served as First Assistant Prosecutor in Hudson County beginning in 2016.
A Pattern of Special Victims Unit Cases
Collier's arrest comes weeks after the same Special Victims Unit secured a 10-year state prison sentence against 30-year-old Carlos Ruiz Castro, who pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated sexual assault in a 2024 case out of West New York — a prosecution Hoodline previously reported.
Anyone with information related to the Collier case is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234. Collier's case remains pending as he awaits his first appearance in Superior Court.
