Man Accused of Fondling 12-Year-Old in Wyckoff

A New Hampshire man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in Wyckoff and showed her photos of his genitalia, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli announced in a release Thursday evening.

According to Molinelli, the girl’s parents reported to Wyckoff Police that family acquaintance Robert Patzelt, 65, fondled her buttocks, showed her pictures of his genitalia on his laptop, and engaged her in sexual conversations.

A task force of Bergen County, Wyckoff, and New Hampshire authorities arrested Patzelt at his home Wednesday, Molinelli said. 

The unmarried retiree is charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, Molinelli said. He is currently being held in New Hampshire awaiting an extradition hearing to New Jersey, authorities said.

Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox thanked local officers as well as the BCPO and New Hampshire authorities for assisting in the investigation and arrest.

"I would like to extend my thanks to Wyckoff Detective Sgt. Joseph Soto who was instrumental in this investigation and who traveled to New Hampshire with Detectives of the Prosecutor's Office to effect this arrest," Fox told Patch. 

"Additionally my thanks to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office for their assistance and professional expertise throughout this investigation. We also received professional assistance in New Hampshire from the Grafton County Sheriff's Department and the Haverhill Police Department."