South Jersey Prison Guard Charged With Sexual Assault of Minor

A corrections officer at the Cape May County Correctional Facility has been arrested on charges of sexual assault of an underage girl over a period of time, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor.

Jonathan Perez, 33, is facing first-degree and second-degree sexual assault charges.

Authorities say on Saturday, Feb 11, New Jersey State Police at the Woodbine barracks received information that Jonathan Perez has been sexually assaulting a juvenile female over an extended period of time.

A release says that the State Police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit investigated the allegations and filed two charges of aggravated sexual assault, one count of sexual assault, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child against Perez later that day.

At the time, police did not know where to find Jonathon Perez.

By Sunday, police located him and took him into custody. He is being held in the Atlantic County Jail pending a court appearance.

Perez has been suspended without pay from his job at the Cape May County Correctional Facility.

In a press release, authorities say he could face between 5 to 20 years in prison if convicted.

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 609-465-1135.