MAYS LANDING — A Mays Landing man was sentenced Thursday to 35 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old relative over an extended period, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
Enmanuel Rodriguez, 34, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Pamela D'Arcy after a jury convicted him in May on charges stemming from the sexual abuse of the child.
The sentence is subject to both the Jessica Lunsford Act and the No Early Release Act. Rodriguez will also be required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law following his release and will be subject to parole supervision for life.
During sentencing, D'Arcy found that Rodriguez posed "a high risk of reoffending" and "had no remorse for victimizing his minor cousin," according to the Prosecutor's Office.
The judge said Rodriguez subjected the girl to "repetitive sexual acts" over an extended period when she was 9 years old. Rodriguez was approximately 20 years older than the victim.
The investigation began Jan. 1, 2023, when Hamilton Township police received a report that the child had been sexually assaulted by Rodriguez, who was identified as a cousin of the girl's mother.
Authorities said Rodriguez initially groomed the girl through online communications that included sexually inappropriate conversations and the exchange of explicit photographs.
Prosecutors said the contact eventually progressed to Rodriguez arranging multiple "dates" with the 9-year-old and asking the child "to be his girlfriend."
Rodriguez sexually assaulted the girl during those encounters, according to prosecutors.
The victim did not immediately disclose the abuse.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the girl was concerned about the effect a disclosure would have on Rodriguez's family and did not want him to get into trouble. She ultimately reported the abuse approximately two years after it ended, when she was 11.
Hamilton Township police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office then launched a joint investigation.
As part of that investigation, authorities conducted a consensually recorded conversation between Rodriguez and the victim's mother.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez admitted during the conversation to inappropriate sexual contact with the girl but attempted to minimize his actions. He repeatedly apologized to the girl's mother and said he "knew he was wrong" and was "already seeking help," according to the Prosecutor's Office.
The case went to trial in May.
The victim, now 14, testified for several hours during the trial, according to prosecutors. The jury ultimately rejected Rodriguez's account and convicted him on all charges.
Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Fischer prosecuted the case.
