A state Superior Court jury in Freehold has returned guilty verdicts against a Hudson County man who sexually assaulted a woman following their first date at Sandy Hook, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced on March 3.
Kawami R. Junor, 28, of Bayonne, was convicted on all charges, including second degree sexual assault, third degree criminal restraint and fourth degree criminal sexual contact, following an approximately week-long trial before Judge Joseph W. Oxley and several hours of jury deliberation, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Junor was also found guilty of assault by auto, a disorderly persons offense, by Oxley following the verdict.
Sentencing in the case has been scheduled for May 6, at which time Junor will face up to 20 years in state prison, according to the press release.
On June 5, 2020, near Lot C of the Gateway National Recreation Area Sandy Hook Unit in northern Monmouth County, a good Samaritan flagged down a member of the National Park Service to alert that individual to the presence of an injured adult female in the area.
The woman, who had sustained a leg injury, was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to the press release.
An investigation by the prosecutor’s office Special Victims Bureau determined that the
woman and Junor had met the day before in Jersey City and had agreed to go on a first date at Sandy Hook.
After spending time on the beach, the investigation determined, Junor guided the woman to the back seat of his vehicle, forcibly removed her clothing, exposed himself and sexually assaulted her, all while she loudly and repeatedly refused consent, according to the press release.
The woman fought back physically and when she opened the car door to leave, Junor pushed her onto the pavement and left the scene in his BMW, running over her foot on the way out of the parking lot.
The woman’s testimony, the witness’s testimony, and physical and digital evidence were leveraged to prove the case at trial, according to the press release.
“I am personally in awe of the courage it took for this victim to step onto the witness stand and describe what happened to her in vivid detail,” Linskey said. “This verdict is a tribute to her bravery and delivers the justice she deserves.”