Crime & Safety

Wayne Man Sexually Assaulted 13-Year-Old Boy, Prosecutor Says

James Perna, 53, accused of sexual contact with boy who worked at his health food store in Totowa.

A Wayne man was charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child for alleged sexual contact with a 13-year-old boy in 2000, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and Sheriff Richard Berdnik announced Wednesday.

The now-26-year-old victim told authorities that James Perna, 53, committed sexual acts on him throughout a period of eight weeks from June to August 2000 while he was employed at Perna’s health food store in Totowa, authorities said. The sex acts sometimes occurred in the store, authorities said.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement: “Although Perna’s arrest was based upon the complaint of a single victim, the evidence suggests that there may be additional victims who are reluctant to come forward.”

Find out what's happening in Waynewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Perna was employed as a Special Deputy Sheriff and was a provisional security guard in the Passaic County Courthouse in Paterson. Perna was arrested on Wednesday.

The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit conducted the investigation with assistance from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.

Find out what's happening in Waynewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Superior Court Judge Greta Good Brown has set Perna’s bail at $300,000. Perna is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, Feb. 19.

If convicted, Perna could serve a maximum term of 30 years, 20 for aggravated sexual assault and 10 for endangering the welfare of a child.

Anyone with information about the investigation should contact Detective Lt. Steve Batte at 862-236-0436.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.