COURT HOUSE — County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor reported Nov. 23 that a jury last week convicted a Wildwood man of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and third-degree child endangerment.

Jose Rafael Lopez, 45, of the 300 block of West Cresse Avenue, was found guilty after a lengthy trial prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Marian Ragusa before Superior Court Judge Raymond Batten.

Taylor said Wildwood police and the Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations section investigated allegations that Lopez assaulted a young girl while she was asleep at the babysitter’s home located on Andrews Avenue. Lopez is the babysitter’s brother, a release stated.

Prosecutor’s Office detective specially trained in forensic interviews of young children determined from the victim what had occurred. A DNA specimen that was collected from the victim by a sexual assault nurse examiner was submitted to the State Police Forensic Laboratory and found to be identical to the defendant’s DNA profile. Subsequent examination of the victim by the pediatric sexual assault physicians at NJ Cares substantiated that the assault occurred.

Ragusa and the Office of Victim/Witness Advocacy returned the victim, who is now 7 years old, along with her mother, to New Jersey to testify in the trial from California where they have relocated.

Taylor added that this is believed to be the first case in the State to be prosecuted utilizing a nurse examiner to examine a child under twelve to gather and collect evidence for analyses.

Since 2000, eight Nurse Examiners, who are licensed forensic nurses, comprise a specially trained unit in Cape May County that responds with law enforcement and advocates to victims of sexual assault as part of a Sexual Assault Response Team. Coordinated through the County Prosecutor’s Office with significant support from Cape Regional Medical Center, Nurse Examiners responded to victims of sexual assault age 13 and over. During the past two years however, the policy has been expanded to include children 12 years or younger in emergent situations to gather evidence.

The expanded responsibilities require additional specialized training in pediatric examinations to respond to these most sensitive cases. All of the forensic nurses attached to the unit have been trained in pediatric examinations at Monrnouth University.

Prosecutor Taylor commended the detectives, forensic nurse examiner and assistant prosecutor for an outstanding effort that resulted in this conviction.

Lopez remains in county jail in lieu of $250,000 cash bail pending his sentencing, which has currently not been scheduled subject to his evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic Treatment Center in Avenel.

As a result of Lopez’s conviction, he is exposed to maximum consecutive sentences totaling 35 years in the New Jersey State Prison subject to No Early Release Act on the first and second degree charges, parole supervision for life and Megan’s Law registration.