A 33-year-old county corrections officer in New Jersey, Jonathan Perez, has been indicted on several sexual assault charges involving a child under age 13.
On April 28, 2023, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Sheriff Robert Nolan announced that Perez, 33, was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of second-degree sexual assault, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Earlier this year, New Jersey State Police in Woodbine received a report that Perez, a corrections officer at Cape May Correctional Facility, had been sexually assaulting a girl over an extended period of time.
The mother of Perez’s alleged victim told police the child was sexually assaulted by Perez on various occasions between 2020 and Feb. 3, 2023, in some cases giving the child alcohol and allowing her to watch pornography.
After the mother reported the assaults to police, a sexual assault medical forensic examination was performed at Cape Regional Medical Center and the child was interviewed by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, recounting the alleged assaults.
Prosecutors said that Perez allegedly had sexual intercourse and that he tied the girl’s wrists during the assaults.
Sutherland said the child told her mother about the assaults Feb. 8.
This led to an investigation by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the New Jersey State Police Woodbine barracks, which resulted in Perez’s arrest on February 12, 2023.
The indictment by a Cape May County grand jury on April 25, 2023, resulted in Perez’s suspension without pay from the Cape May County Correctional Facility, where he was employed.
If convicted, Perez faces severe consequences, as an individual convicted of an Aggravated Sexual Assault with a victim being less than 13 years of age is subject to a term of imprisonment of 25 years to Life per the Jessica Lunsford Act.
Anyone with additional information relating to this investigation is urged to come forward. They can contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 609-465-1135, or anonymously through the Prosecutor’s Office website at cmcpo.tips.
They can also contact the Cape May County Sheriffs Tip Line at cmcsherrif.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-889-3597.
Sutherland said that Perez is innocent until proven guilty, and the charges against him are just accusations at this time.
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