Kervin Joseph-Michel
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced today that an Irvington man was sentenced on November 21, 2025, to 34½ years in prison for first-degree kidnapping, first-degree aggravated sexual assault while armed with a knife, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree aggravated assault.
Kervin Joseph-Michel, 43, was convicted on February 8, 2024, of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in Irvington on November 4, 2015. He was also convicted of assaulting the victim’s boyfriend who arrived home during the sexual assault. The trial was delayed for nearly a decade because the defendant was deemed incompetent to stand trial multiple times.
The prosecution proved that Joseph-Michel approached the victim as she was walking home while carrying her three-week-old infant son. The defendant repeatedly tried to engage her in conversation. The victim rejected his advances and continued walking home. She was unaware that Joseph-Michel followed her. Once inside her home, Joseph-Michel placed what he said was a gun to her back and forced her into the foyer, where he sexually assaulted her at knifepoint.
Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Celeste Montesino, who tried the case, said “The victim in this case is a hero. She showed extraordinary courage in the face of terrible violence against her and her immediate family. I hope that she finds peace knowing that this defendant will no longer be able to hurt her or anyone else.”
The public is encouraged to report any information related to criminal activity by contacting the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. All calls remain confidential.