Sexual Assault Of Child Cousin Nets NJ Man Prison Sentence

MAYS LANDING, NJ — A Mays Landing man was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a child family member, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

Enmanuel Rodriguez, 34, was sentenced to 35 years in New Jersey State Prison subject to both the Jessica Lunsford Act and the No Early Release Act. Upon his release, he must register under Megan's Law and is subject to parole supervision for life.

In Rodriguez's sentencing, the court found that he poses “a high risk of reoffending,” and “had no remorse for victimizing his minor cousin,” by performing “repetitive sexual acts,” on her over a lengthy period of time when the child was only nine years old and he was 20 years older than her.

On Jan. 1, 2023, a young girl reported to Hamilton police that she had been sexually assaulted by her mother's cousin, who was 20 years older than her, authorities said.

He groomed her online with sexually inappropriate conversations and exchanging explicit photographs, which progressed into him taking her on "dates" and asking her to "be his girlfriend," authorities said. On those "dates," Rodriguez would sexually abuse her, according to officials.

The girl delayed disclosing Rodriguez's sexual abuse because she loved his family and did not want him in trouble, authorities said. She disclosed the abuse two years after it occurred, at age 11.

During the investigation, Rodriguez had an in-person conversation with the victim's mother where he minimized his abuse and while he admitted to sexually assaulting the girl, he did so in a "self-serving way," the prosecutor's office said. However, Rodriguez did apologize to the girl's mother and claimed “he was already seeking help” and “knew he was wrong.”

The now 14-year-old girl testified for hours at Rodriguez's trial.