For Immediate Release:
July 17, 2026

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 73-year-old PETER F. KNIPE of Vernon, NJ, on charges of aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer, and the Fair Lawn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Dawicki.

On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the Fair Lawn Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile that occurred in the past. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Fair Lawn Police Department revealed that PETER F. KNIPE sexually assaulted a juvenile in Fair Lawn, NJ, on more than one occasion, between December 2, 1990, and December 31, 1991.

As a result of the investigation, on Thursday, July 16, 2026, PETER F. KNIPE was arrested in Fair Lawn, NJ, and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(1); and three counts of second-degree sexual assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2b. KNIPE was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.

Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Fair Lawn Police Department for its assistance in this investigation.