National Park Man Convicted Of Child Sexual Assault: Prosecutor

A National Park man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a four-year-old boy in 2011, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office announced. Eric Windhurst, 50, was living with the child and the child’s aunt at the time of the assault, the prosecutor’s office said. He was convicted by a jury in Gloucester County on Tuesday, June 12.

Windhurst was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He faces up to 10 years in New Jersey state prison on the second-degree charge and up to five years for the third-degree offense.

He will remain in jail until sentencing, which was deferred pending an evaluation at the state Diagnostic and Treatment center, a facility for sex offenders in Avenel. If he is found to be a “repetitive and compulsive” offender, Windhurst may serve his term of incarceration at the Avenel center and undergo treatment.

Windhurst is a Megan’s Law registrant due to a prior sex offense conviction from his time as a Rhode Island resident, according to the prosecutor’s office. He didn’t testify during the trial, but the jury saw a video recording of his interview with Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office investigators in which he denied having any contact with the boy.

The boy, now 11 years old, did testify during the trial, along with his aunt and the detective who investigated the allegations. The boy testified Windhurst told him he had a surprise for him, then pulled down his pants and touched his “private” while the two were alone in Windhurst’s home, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The defense argued that the boy’s testimony was unreliable and other possible witnesses weren’t interviewed, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Dianna Reed-Rolando, Trial Chief for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, argued that the boy had no reason to lie when he disclosed to his aunt what happened and when he testified in court. In fact, he blamed himself for Windhurst’s actions, saying in an interview with investigators “I can’t believe I was dumb enough to fall for that trick,” Reed- Rolando said.

See related: National Park Man Charged With Child Sexual Assault

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