FREEHOLD – An Asbury Park man who sexually abused a juvenile over the course of a period of multiple years was sentenced to 40 years for his crimes, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Wednesday.
Julian B. Hart, 39, of Asbury Park, will be required to serve at least 85 percent of the first 40 years of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole under the provisions of New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA), in accordance with the terms set down during the sentencing hearing before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard W. English on Friday June 30, 2023. Hart was subject to sentencing under the Jessica Lunsford Act, which was enacted to protect victims under 13 from sexual offenders. Hart will be subject to the provisions of Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision For Life upon release.
The charges stem from an investigation that was launched by the Asbury Park Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau following a report made by the victim in the summer of 2021. The investigation revealed that Hart repeatedly sexually abused the victim, who was under the age of 12, on multiple occasions from September 27, 2014 through December 16, 2015. Hart was arrested and charged in August of 2021. Hart was later indicted on October 22, 2021.
The investigation also revealed that Hart was already on Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life when these acts occurred.
Hart was found guilty by a jury on December 7, 2022 of first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault, second-degree Sexual Assault, third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child and third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child for the Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials.
The case was handled by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Dugan.
Hart is represented by Michael Kuhns, Esq., of Lawrence Township.
