A jury convicted a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, man on child rape charges on Wednesday.
And it wasn’t the first time.
Luis A. Cruz, 56, was found to have assaulted his girlfriend’s daughter from 2007 to 2008—when the victim was 8 and 9 years old. According to Penn Live, the victim’s mother moved the man in with her three young daughters, after only a few months of dating.
Cruz was prosecuted for sexually assaulting a child back in 1995, when he was convicted of raping another defenseless youth, along with other sexual offenses. Brokering a plea deal, he served less than 10 years in prison.
Cruz’s first victim even testified during his most recent trial. She was just 10 and 11 years old when the defendant sexually abused her, more than 20 years ago. Luis Cruz’s methods were also similar in that instance. He dated her mother and abused the girl in her own home.
The newest victim went to police in 2014, following a fight with her mother. The girl testified that Cruz abused her for an entire year; starting out with touching and escalating from there. The victim stated that she had built up a resentment towards her mother for moving the convicted sex offender into their home.
In addition to being convicted of child rape, Cruz was found guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of a minor.
The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office said the 56-year-old could be subject to a 25-year minimum sentence, due to his prior child rape conviction.
WHTM reported that sentencing is scheduled for June 19.
[Featured Image: Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office]