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Brian Lee Avis, 59, has been indicted by an Atlantic County grand jury for the sexual assaults of a 10-year-old Brigantine girl in 1996, and a 5-year-old girl in Galloway Township in 2003, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Cary Shill said,
The eight-count indictment includes charges of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13, endangering and burglary, Shill said.
The charges against Avis came after Galloway Township Police Det. Sgt. First Class Ryan Goehringer received correspondence on Sept. 20 from the New Jersey State Police AFIS Lab with regards to a delayed fingerprint hit. The delayed fingerprint hit was confirmed and came back to Avis in connection to a sexual assault and burglary case investigated by Galloway Township Police on July 18, 2003, Shill said.
On July 18, 2003, at 11:43 p.m., Galloway Township Police were dispatched to a home for a report of a burglary. The mother of the juvenile victim told police that she observed a male hastily exiting the home. The mother of the 5 year-old female victim told police that when she encountered her daughter the child’s pajama bottoms were pulled down.
On July 19, 1996, the Brigantine Police Department responded to the report of a sexual assault at a residence on East Evans Boulevard in Brigantine City. A male suspect allegedly broke into the residence in the middle of the night and sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl while she was sleeping. When the victim woke up, the suspect fled the scene.
Through various investigative means, detectives identified Avis as the suspect.
On September 12, detectives located Avis and escorted him to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, where they executed a search warrant for his DNA.
Avis was being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor John Flammer is handling both cases.
Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800.
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