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Acting Prosecutor Jennifer Davenport announced Friday that the jury convicted 71-year-old Angel Flores of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child following less than two hours of jury deliberations.
Plainfield police and Sgt. Brian O'Malley of the prosecutor's Special Victims Unit conducted an investigation which revealed that Flores -- known to his neighbors in the multifamily home as "Don Benito" -- assaulted the 9-year-old victim multiple times from December 2015 to January 2016. The assaults all took place at the Central Avenue home.
The victim, now 13, testified at the trial, along with several relatives to whom she confided, the prosecutor's office also said. Flores, who knew the victim's family, was arrested a few days after the last assault in 2016.
Flores is scheduled to be sentenced in June, when he faces 25 years to life in prison. Under the state's Jessica Lunford Act, a minimum sentence is mandatory for sexual assault when the victim is younger than 13.
Authorities continue to investigate Flores. Anyone with information about his activities still is being urged to contact Sgt. O’Malley, of the prosecutor's office, at 908-220-4323.
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