A New York man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a child in a local motel room in April of 2023 and faces up to 10 years in prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.  

Following a trial before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Natalie S. Watson, 35-year-old David Leigh, of Auburn, NY was found guilty by a jury of: second-degree sexual assault, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. 

Sentencing in the case has been tentatively scheduled for Friday, Sept. 12, at which time Leigh will face up to 10 years in state prison, registration as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, and parole supervision for life.

The case background …

An investigation by Neptune Township police revealed that Leigh and the victim, who was 14 at the time, had met via social media. Shortly thereafter, in April of 2023, they met in person at a motel in Neptune, where the sexual assault took place. The investigation further revealed that the victim had advised Leigh of her age beforehand.

Leigh was arrested in January of 2024, and a Monmouth County Grand Jury returned a three-count indictment against him two months later.

The roughly week-long trial culminated in two hours of jury deliberation before the guilty verdicts were returned yesterday. The state proved its case using a variety of physical and electronic evidence, along with the victim’s own testimony.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

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