WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—A former Woodcliff Lake rabbi was sentenced to serve up to six years in jail for sexually assaulting a local boy 20 years ago when he lived in town.
Menachem Weiss, 48, must serve at least three three years before he’s eligible for parole, register as a sex offender, and refrain from contact with the family, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Weiss had pleaded guilty in May to one count of aggravated sexual assault for molesting a teenage boy over a six-month period about 20 years ago, said court records.
Police in Woodcliff Lake learned of the sexual assault in late 2016 while Weiss was living in Los Angeles. He was taken into custody by Port Authority police at Newark Airport in March 2018.
An investigation of the allegations led to a grand jury indictment that charged Weiss with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of the boy, who records show was in his mid-teens.
Weiss subsequently negotiated a deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty earlier this year to one of the counts.
“It was heart-wrenching to hear the victim describe how the abuse turned his life upside down and how it has impacted him for two decades,” said Meyer Seewald, founder and director of Jewish Community Watch, in a statement.
Seewald said he was “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.”
“At the same time, hearing this warrior’s incredible determination inspired me tremendously and I am thankful to have been there to witness his courage,” Seewald continued.
“No one can imagine what kind of bravery it takes to stand up and speak your most painful truth. It took superhuman courage for this victim to come forward, and he and the other alleged victims deserve overwhelming support from the community,” Seewald added.
Weiss previously resided in Woodcliff Lake and Park Ridge, where he managed the Pascack Valley Chabad Center.