A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced to eight years in state prison last week after pleading guilty to improperly touching a young teenage girl while he was babysitting her, authorities said.

judge's gavel (Kuzma, ThinkStock)
judge's gavel (Kuzma, ThinkStock)
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Ralph L. Russ 64, of Woodbury pleaded guilty on Jan. 12 to a second degree charge of endangering the welfare of a child and third degree aggravated sexual conduct. On June 24, he was sentenced to an eight-year prison term. According to authorities, both charges "are related to improperly touching a girl who was between 13 and 16 years old while he had a legal duty for her care as a babysitter in Woodbury Feb. 24, 2014."

According to the Gloucester County prosecutor's Office, Russ entered his guilty plea just as his trial was set to begin, which was past the deadline for a plea deal.

"He agreed to accept the judge’s decision on the length of his sentence," the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Russ was evaluated at the state's Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel - a state facility that houses incarcerated sex offenders. It was determined that he is a "repetitive and compulsive sex offender" and qualifies for treatment at the center, according to the Prosecutor's Office. However, authorities said, as a previously convicted sex offender, Russ will be first be forced to serve all five years of the sexual contact sentence in state prison without the possibility of parole before he can be transferred to Avenel for the remainder his sentence.

According to Prosecutor's Office spokesman Bernie Weisenfeld, Russ pleaded guilty to the earlier sex offense in Camden County on Oct. 21, 1988 and was sentenced July 31,1989. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Authorities did not say whether or not the legal guardians of the girl involved in the 2014 incident knew that Russ was a sex offender before leaving the teen in his care.

Weisenfeld said in a statement that the judge took Russ' previous history as a sex offender into consideration during sentencing. When he is released from prison, Russ will have to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law and will be under parole supervision for at least 15 years, authorities said.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.

 

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