Manahawkin Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting, Killing Girlfriend's Child Seeks Dismissal

By Anthony Bellano

CAMDEN, NJ — A Manahawkin man accused of sexually assaulting and murdering his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter is asking to have his case thrown out, even as the child’s mother prepares to testify against him as part of a plea deal.

Michael Disporto Jr., 23, has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree aggravated sexual assault in the death of his girlfriend’s child last summer. Amber Bobo, 27, of Gloucester City, had been charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

However, she accepted a plea deal earlier this year, and will spend three years in prison in exchange for testifying against Disporto Jr. in court, according to nj.com. Disporto’s attorney, Jason LeBoeuf, has filed motions to have the case dismissed, have the venue changed and suppress various pieces of evidence. A hearing on those motions is set for Aug. 21.

According to a probable cause statement from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Disporto had been dating Bobo for two weeks before he allegedly killed her child last summer.

The two picked up her child from the biological father’s house and took her to Bobo’s home in Gloucester City on July 2, 2016. Later that night, Disporto took the girl to the park and the fireworks by himself, spending about 45 minutes alone with her in an effort to “get to know her better.” Bobo said she was too tired to go with them.

Police say Disporto sexually assaulted the girl, and convinced Bobo not to take her to a hospital after she noticed bruising on her body, or after she vomited several times over the next few days.

Bobo eventually took her daughter to the hospital, where she underwent immediate brain surgery. Following the surgery, she was examined for brain activity twice on July 5. Doctors said there was no brain activity either time before she was taken off life support at 6:26 p.m. that day.

Image: Patch file photo.