Crime & Safety
Man Repeatedly Raped Child From Cape May County: Feds
The New York man met her online and repeatedly drove her to his home, according to authorities.
CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ — A Queens man was accused of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a Cape May County girl. Richard Gabriel Piedra Ordonez engaged in sexual conduct with the girl in Cape May County and at his home in the Sunnyside neighborhood, authorities announced Wednesday.
Piedra, 35, began communicating with the girl in May through social media and messaging platforms, according to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. He met the 15-year-old girl several times over the coming months, authorities said.
Authorities did not reveal in which town(s) this occurred in Cape May County.
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Piedra told the girl online that his name is "Richard Cepeda" and that he is 20 years old, the affidavit says. The victim told him she is 15, according to the document.
The man drove to her home on two occasions in May and/or June, according to authorities. He drove her to a secluded place several miles from her home and had sex with her, the affidavit says. Investigators recovered a used condom July 25 in the location.
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Piedra drove the girl to New York twice in June and/or July, the documents say. The victim stayed overnight with him in a room shared with his family members, according to authorities.
During one of their in-person meetings, Piedra gave the victim a cell phone for communicating with him and for taking photographs and videos of herself with Piedra, the affidavit says. One of the videos shows Piedra and the victim having sex, according to documents.
Through investigation, authorities discovered Piedra's real name and age. He is licensed as a for-hire driver by New York City's Taxi & Limousine Commission.
Piedra and the victim were in an accident on the Garden State Parkway around Nov. 24, according to the affidavit. The girl told Piedra later via Snapchat that she broke a rib in the crash. During the conversation, Piedra asked the victim about when she could move in with him and told her to delete the conversation once it was over, authorities said.
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