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Walter Casanovas (STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)
Walter Casanovas, 23, of Bayonne, faces unannounced home visits, computer monitoring — even the possible seizing of computers — after telling the judge he didn’t know that the girl was under 16.
Casanovas was arrested last June 30 and quickly posted $50,000 bail.
Then he cut a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to child endangerment charge. They, in turn, dismissed statutory rape charges.
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Kristin DeMarco said she was satisfied with the outcome.
However, she noted: “If you are working for an organization that throws parties for teenagers, you’d know the majority of people there are underaged children.”
Defense attorney Ilene McFarlane called her client “very young,” and said that “one evening he crossed the line….The consequences to him are fairly severe.”
For his part, Casanovas told Presiding Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi: “I’m sorry for the trouble I caused — it was a mistake. I apologize to my family.”
Besides suspending a prison sentence, DeAvila-Silebi gave Casanovas to three years probation and permanently restrained him from ever contacting the victim or her family, at their request.
Casanovas also faces a DWI charge following an arrest in Fairview last May.
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Kristin DeMarco, defense attorney Ilene McFarlane, Walter Casanovas (STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)
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