NJ child sexual predator gets 154 years for abusing three girls

🔒 Newark man sentenced to 154 years for sexual abuse of three girls

⚖️ Essex County jury convicted him on multiple first- and second-degree charges

🚨 The sexual abuse happened over the span of several years

NEWARK — A 42-year-old Newark man will spend the rest of his life in prison for sexually abusing three girls over an eight-year span.

Terrence Mells has been sentenced to 154 years in prison for the repeated sexual assault of the three victims.

On Nov. 14, Mells was convicted by an Essex County jury of three counts each of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

He was also convicted of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual assault, and first-degree witness tampering.

Essex County Superior Court Judge Naazneen Khan presided over both the trial and the sentencing.

Read More: Millville man receives 75-year sentence for child sexual abuse

Abuse spanned years, beginning when youngest victim wasn't even a teen

The sexual abuse began in March 2015, when the victims were 12, 13, and 14, and lasted until November 2023, prosecutors said.

Mells then threatened one of his victims after finding out that he was being investigated for his crimes.

154-year prison sentence under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act

He would have to serve more than 130 years before being eligible for parole, under the state’s No Early Release Act.

“This sentence sends a clear message that those who prey on the vulnerable will be held fully accountable. The defendant’s actions were abhorrent and reprehensible. Because of the victims’ courage and the diligent work of law enforcement, justice has been served,” Assistant Prosecutor Cynthia Teller said in a written statement on Tuesday.

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