MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Chief of Detectives Christoph K. Kimker, and Rockaway Township Police Chief Martin McParland announce that a jury has found Kyriakos Serghides, 41, of Rockaway Borough guilty of one Count of Second Degree Sexual Assault; one Count of Second Degree Attempted Kidnapping; one Count of Second Degree Luring; one Count of Second Degree Attempted Sexual Assault; and two Counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Serghides was acquitted of one Count of Third Degree Terroristic Threats; one Count of Third-Degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes; and one Count of Fourth Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
The charges arise from incidents that occurred in August and September of 2015 in Rockaway Township. On August 28, 2015, while at the Rockaway Townsquare Mall, Serghides touched the private area of a five-year-old boy in the food court restroom within the Mall.
In addition, on September 10, 2015, Serghides lured another five-year-old boy and attempted to leave the Target Store in Rockaway Township with him. Serghides was arrested on September 11, 2015, on charges related to these incidents. The charges against Serghides were tried before a jury between January 31, 2022, and February 10, 2022. The Honorable Robert M. Hanna, J.S.C. presided over the trial, and the State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Reema Sethi Kareer and Assistant Prosecutor Jacqueline Marotta. The jury returned its verdict on February 10, 2022. Serghides is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2022.
He remains in custody at this time. Prosecutor Carroll would like to acknowledge the Rockaway Township Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit for their efforts in this investigation and prosecution.
Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
