PATERSON, N.J. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A 43-year-old Lyft driver was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for sexually assaulting a passenger, who was a minor, in 2019, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Julio Mejia, of Wharton, New Jersey, was sentenced to an aggregate term of seven years in state prison, prosecutors said.
Mejia was convicted by a jury on Sept. 30, 2023 of second-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree luring or enticing a child.
He received two seven-year sentences for the sexual assault charge and the luring or enticing a child charge, and they were ordered to run concurrently.
The Prospect Park Police Department received a report on Nov. 19, 2019 that a minor was sexually assaulted by her ride-share driver, who was later identified as Mejia.
The child victim was interviewed and told police that she and Mejia had sexual intercourse after she took a Lyft ride on Aug. 30, 2019.
Mejia and the victim stayed in touch through text over the next several weeks before having sexual intercourse a second time, prosecutors said.
At the time of his arrest, Mejia was an active armed services member, officials said.
The defendant had a special sentence of parole supervision for life imposed, and upon release, prosecutors said he will have to comply with Megan’s Law sex offender registration requirements.