Menachem M. Weiss, 47, a resident of Los Angeles, formerly of Woodcliff Lake in Bergen County, NJ, was sentenced to six years in prison for sexually assaulting a boy in 1999, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office reported Monday.
Weiss, a married teacher, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of aggravated sexual assault.
Woodcliff Lake police received a complaint against Weiss back in 2016, accusing him of sexually assaulting a boy between January and June in 1999 He was charged a year ago.
Weiss will be eligible for parole in three years, according to the prosecutor’s office. After his release, Weiss will have to register as a sex offender and avoid contact with the victim or his family.
Meyer Seewald, founder and director of Jewish Community Watch said in a statement on Monday: “I am so disappointed that during an era of such awareness of the reality of sexual abuse, so many community members supported Weiss throughout the legal proceedings over the last two years.”
“It took superhuman courage for this victim to come forward, and he and the other alleged victims deserve overwhelming support from the community,” Seewald’s statement continued. “It was heart wrenching to hear the victim describe in court how the abuse turned his life upside down and how it has impacted him for two decades. At the same time, hearing this warriors incredible determination inspired me tremendously and I am thankful to have been there to witness his courage. No one can imagine what kind of bravery it takes to stand up and speak your most painful truth.”