Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 48-year-old JOEL U. BRITO of Teaneck, NJ on charges of criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Bergenfield Police Department under the direction of Chief Mustafa Rabboh.
On Saturday, March 29, 2025, the Bergenfield Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding an alleged sexual assault of a juvenile that had occurred in Bergenfield, NJ. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bergenfield Police Department revealed that JOEL U. BRITO sexually assaulted and endangered a juvenile in Bergenfield, NJ in the early morning of March 29, 2025.
As a result of the investigation, on Saturday, March 29, 2025, JOEL U. BRITO was arrested in Bergenfield, NJ and charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1); and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3b. BRITO was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Bergenfield Police Department for its assistance in this investigation.