Joseph Guzman, who owns Joseph Vincent’s Salon in Mount Olive, sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl on Wednesday, Aug. 10, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said in a release with local officials.
Guzman was arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 23, and charged with second-degree sexual assault of a victim between 16 and 18 years old where the defendant had supervisory power over the victim, child endangerment, and four counts of criminal sexual contact.
After a detention hearing on Monday, Guzman was released from custody under pre-trial monitoring, which includes no unsupervised contact with minors, officials said.
However, Guzman fully denies the allegations, according to a Facebook message sent to DailyVoice.com from Joseph Vincent's Hair Studio. Read the full statement below:
"These are false allegations. My lawyer will prove my innocence and clear my name. I’m loved and respected in this community. I have helped many people. I also have own salons for 20yrs and never have had any kind of issue."
Anthony J. Iacullo, Attorney for Joseph Guzman, also tells Daily Voice that Guzman “maintains his innocence:"
“Joseph is a well respected member of the community and a successful business owner for over 20 years," Iacullo said. "He maintains his innocence as to the allegations and looks forward to defending himself in a court of law.”
The investigation was handled by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Mount Olive Police Department.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Highland Lakes-Vernon and receive free news updates.