A New York man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2023 sexual assault of a child in an area motel room, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.

David Leigh, 35, of Auburn, NY, was sentenced on Friday by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Natalie S. Watson. Under the terms set down by Judge Watson, Leigh must serve at least five years prior to becoming eligible for parole, and will have to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and be subject to parole supervision for life.

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

The approximately week-long trial culminated with two hours of jury deliberation before the guilty verdicts were returned on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The state proved its case using a variety of physical and electronic evidence, along with the victim’s own testimony.

An investigation by Neptune 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 also revealed that the victim had advised Leigh of her age beforehand.

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

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