Long Branch Man Will Remain Detained Pending Trial On Charges Of Sexually Assaulting Two Children
Tuesday, November 25, 2025,12:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
LONG BRANCH, NJ.- Last Friday, a 45-year-old Long Branch, New Jersey man accused of preying on minors was ordered held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution pending trial. Prosecutors say he repeatedly targeted a young girl and a teenage boy, subjecting both to ongoing sexual abuse.
According to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, Raul F. Lopez, also known as “Lee Escobar,” 45, of Long Branch, New Jersey, was charged with first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault; second-degree Sexual Assault; two counts of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child; and fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact.
Escobar Will Remain Detained Pending Trial
Escobar was taken into custody without incident after surrendering to Detectives at the Long Branch Police Department earlier this month. On Friday, November 21, 2025, Escobar appeared in Monmouth County Superior Court and was ordered by Superior Court Judge Vincent N. Falcetano, Jr., to remain detained pending trial.
The charges stem from an investigation that was led by the Long Branch Police Department, which uncovered that Escobar had committed sex crimes against two children, a girl who was under the age of thirteen when the crimes against her began, which occurred on numerous occasions from 2020 and lasting through 2023, and the boy who was under the age of sixteen when the crimes were committed in 2023.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation or similar conduct involving Escobar is urged to contact Detective David Stone of the Long Branch Police Department at (732) 222-1000.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
