NJ man convicted of rape after horrifying ‘dates’ with 9-year-old

⚖️ An Atlantic County jury convicted a NJ man of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old.

⚖️ Prosecutors said abuse included explicit messages and assaults he called 'dates'.

⚖️ The now-14-year-old relative testified for hours during the trial.

HAMILTON (Atlantic) — A 34-year-old Atlantic County man faces more than two decades in prison after being found guilty of raping a child relative.

After a week-long trial, Enmanuel Rodriguez was convicted Friday by an Atlantic County jury of aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.

On Jan. 1, 2023, Hamilton Township Police received a report of a child who was sexually assaulted by her mother’s cousin, who is 20 years older than the victim.

Rodriguez, a resident of the Mays Landing area, exposed the 9-year-old victim to sexually inappropriate conversations and the exchange of explicit photographs before asking the young child “to be his girlfriend.”

In incidents that the convicted predator called “dates,” he sexually abused the child, prosecutors said.

Victim delayed reporting abuse

The child hesitated in reporting the abuse as she “loved his family and did not want the defendant in trouble,” prosecutors said.

When the child did come forward, two years later, her mother confronted Rodriguez while police monitored the conversation.

He admitted to inappropriate sexual contact, while also trying to downplay the sexual abuse, prosecutors said.

Read More: Newark man gets 154 years for sex crimes against three girls

Teen testified at sexual predator's trial

The now 14-year-old victim bravely testified for hours at trial.

Rodriguez will receive a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison — and could face up to life, when sentenced on Aug.13, pending an evaluation by corrections staff at the Avenel facility.

He would also be under mandatory parole supervision for life and Megan’s law registration, should he be released on parole.

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