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Marcelino Cruz, 35, of Mullica Township, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 4 to 16 years in state prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. A jury found him guilty on Wednesday, Feb. 7 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 must serve his full 16-year sentence. He won't be eligible for parole because he committed the 2022 sexual assault while already on parole supervision for life.
Once Cruz is released from prison, he'll resume his lifelong parole supervision and continue registering as a sex offender under Megan's Law.
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