A former corrections officer in Cape May County was found guilty by a jury Friday of sexually assaulting a minor, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland announced Friday.
Jonathan Perez, 34, was convicted of two counts of first degree aggravated sexual assault of a minor, and one count each of second-degree sexual assault and second degree endangering the welfare of a child. The assault happened over an extended period of time and involved a child under the age of 13, authorities said.
Perez, a former corrections officer at the Cape May Correctional Facility, was first reported to authorities by a juvenile in February 2023 and was charged a day later after an investigation. He was arrested without incident the same day he was charged and was suspended without pay, authorities said.
“This conviction underscores our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice and holding individuals accountable for their actions, especially when they harm innocent children,” officials said in a press release Friday.
Perez’s sentencing is scheduled for June 12 and he is currently being held in the Atlantic County Correctional Center.
An attorney for Perez was not immediately reachable Friday afternoon.
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