Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Jose Melendez

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, endangering welfare of children ("EWOC"), and corruption of minors.

Reported by Kent Morlan

The Defendant was the stepfather of N.V.-S. ("Victim"). He sexually abused Victim on multiple occasions when she was between the ages of five (5) and nine (9). The abuse ended only after Victim and her mother moved away from Philadelphia. Victim first reported the abuse to her therapist when she was seventeen (17) years old. Police investigated the claims, and Victim participated in an interview with the Philadelphia Children's Alliance. The Commonwealth subsequently charged Appellant with the above-mentioned offenses, as well as unlawful contact with a minor and indecent exposure.

The court found Appellant not guilty of unlawful contact with a minor and indecent exposure. On May 23, 2025, the court sentenced Appellant to an aggregate term of eleven and one-half (11 1/2) to twenty-three (23) months' incarceration, followed by three (3) years of probation. Although the court did not find Appellant to be a sexually violent predator, it determined that Appellant was subject to lifetime registration under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act ("SORNA").

Affirmed