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19-year-old arrested for having sex with girl under 16, Hopatcong police say

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Andrew Laureano

(Courtesy of Hopatcong Police)

HOPATCONG

— A 19-year-old borough resident has been arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a girl who was under 16.

Andrew Laureano is charged with second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested last Wednesday.

Lt. Thomas Kmetz said the girl's father notified police his daughter had been in a sexual relationship with Laureano. Hopatcong Detective William Sutphen and a detective from the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office investigated, and interviewed Laureano and the girl, he said.

"It was found that the two had a sexual dating relationship for several months," Kmetz wrote in a press release on the incident.

Laureano was lodged in the Sussex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail.

After Hopatcong police posted

a notice about the arrest on Facebook

— as they typically do for arrests — several area criticized police for making the arrest, and for publicizing it. Some also criticized the girl's father for reporting the relationship.

"So, (you) have 21-year-olds marrying 30-year-olds. Guess people forget there's a lot of people that turn 18 senior year, so if (you're) dating someone at that point (you) just gotta break up with them (whether you) like it or not," Sean McManus wrote. "I agree though, no reason to be putting people's business all over Facebook let alone something like this."

But Kmetz replied that Hopatcong police issue press releases for all arrests.

"And we don't make the law, we enforce the law," he wrote. "If you want it that adults can have sex with minors, call your elected officials to change the law. Don't put down Hopatcong as making something out of nothing. This is a second- and third-degree crime, not a borough ordinance for littering.

"

Some residents stood up for Hopatcong police: "At least people know who's who in their neighborhoods," Anne Rich wrote. "Lived in Hopatcong for 19 years and you guys were always great."

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