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A jury convicted 34-year-old Marcelino Cruz of Mullica Township on Wednesday, Feb. 7, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. Cruz was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
An investigation began when a 13-year-old's mother found disturbing text messages on the child's phone. Police confirmed Cruz, who was 33 at the time, was texting with the child.
Investigators said Cruz sexually assaulted the child during the first week of August 2022. Police also found an image of child sexual abuse on Cruz's phone.
Cruz was previously sentenced in 2019 to five years in prison on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, sex acts. The charges came from offenses in Salem County in 2010, according to state prison records. Cruz was released on parole in November 2021.
Cruz faces up to 20 years in state prison for the second-degree sexual assault conviction. He will have to serve his entire sentence before resuming his lifelong parole supervision and continuing to register as a sex offender.
Cruz also faces up to five years each for the endangering the welfare of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material charges.
Cruz was scheduled for sentencing on Monday, May 6, 2024.
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