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A New Jersey man is accused of luring an 11-year-old girl from her home by threatening to share partially nude photos of her before sexually assaulting her in his car.
Adolph A. Cruz-Garciaof Passaic County, is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangerment, according to prosecutors.
Cruz-Garcia, 23, was arrested near his home in Haledon on Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release Thursday, Oct. 22, announcing his criminal charges.
He was arrested more than two weeks after he allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old Asbury Park girl on Oct. 2.
Cruz-Garcia met the child hours earlier on social media that same day, according to authorities. The prosecutor’s office did not specify which social media platform they met on.
Although he was aware of her age, the prosecutor’s office said he “demanded photos of her in a bad state and offered her money in exchange for sexual acts.”
According to investigators, Cruz-Garcia then went to the girl’s home and threatened to release partially nude images of her to her family and friends if she didn’t come out.
After allegedly blackmailing her, he is accused of taking her into the back of his car and sexually assaulting her several times, the prosecutor’s office said.
Afterward, he dropped her off near her residence in Asbury Park, according to authorities.
Cruz-Garcia was booked into the Monmouth County Correctional Institution ahead of a detention hearing set for Oct. 26.
It was not immediately clear whether Cruz-Garcia had retained legal counsel.
He is reportedly wanted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Federal officials have filed an immigration detainer against Cruz-Garcia, according to the newspaper, which said immigration authorities did not immediately provide further information about his immigration status.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office encourages anyone with information about Cruz-Garcia to contact MCPO Det. Stephanie Regina at 732-431-7160, Ext. 8791 or Asbury Park Police Department Detective Terrence McGhee at 732-502-5781.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
