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Wildwood police and the special victims unit for the county prosecutor's office opened an investigation on Friday, Jan. 12 into a child sexual assault claim against 27-year-old Jose Lopez-Ortiz, Cape May County prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland announced.
Lopez-Ortiz was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 13, and is being held at Cape May County Correctional Center.
An arrest report said the girl told investigators she had been sexually assaulted several times in the last few months. The girl accused Lopez-Ortiz of molesting her while he taught her how to play piano in October and November 2023.
Lopez-Ortiz is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault. Prosecutors said anyone convicted of an aggravated sexual assault with a victim younger than 13 faces 25 years to life in prison under the Jessica Lunsford Act.
Lopez-Ortiz is also charged with second-degree sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Anyone convicted of those second-degree crimes faces five to ten years in state prison.
Sutherland said the investigation is ongoing and police are looking for anyone with additional information about the case. You can contact the county prosecutor's office by calling the special victims unit at 609-465-1135 or by filing an anonymous tip online at cmcpo.tips.
You can also submit an anonymous online tip to the county sheriff at cmcsheriff.net or by calling the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-889-3597.
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