Crime & Safety

Cops Find ‘Mummified Human Remains’ During Raid In Newark

Police found "human remains" in the closet of a Newark man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager, authorities said.

Police found “mummified human remains” in a Newark man's closet on Aug. 15, 2019.
Police found “mummified human remains” in a Newark man's closet on Aug. 15, 2019. (Photo: Shutterstock)

NEWARK, NJ — Police found mummified human remains in the closet of a Newark man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager during a search of his home on Thursday, authorities said.

Officers arrested Robert Frank Williams, 53, after receiving a report that he allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-year-old juvenile over a period of several months beginning in 2018.

On Aug. 15, members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and detectives from the Newark Police Department executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence.

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According to a joint statement from the two agencies, detectives found “mummified human remains” in a bin in a closet.

Authorities charged Williams with first-degree aggravated sexual assault for engaging in an act of penetration upon on a child younger than 13 years of age, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child for the production of items depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child, second-degree sexual assault upon a victim who was between the ages of 13 and 15, second-degree luring, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child for engaging in sexual conduct with a child, and second-degree desecration of human remains.

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A police investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

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