Sex Assault Of Teen Girl Draws Charges: Union County Prosecutor

UNION COUNTY, NJ — A Union woman and Newark man were arrested last week after being criminally charged with the sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old girl, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced Thursday.

Rony D. Game-Palacios, 30, is charged with second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and Valdirene Nogueira, 45, is charged with first-degree promoting prostitution of a child, third-degree promoting prostitution, third-degree compelling another to engage in prostitution and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to prosecutors.

The report of the sexual assault was received by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit this past September.

An investigation that followed revealed that the victim was sexually assaulted by Game-Palacios after Nogueira coerced her to have sex with him for money and plying her with alcohol, according to Assistant Prosecutor Peter Benza who is prosecuting the case.

This remains an active investigation, and anyone with information about this matter or these defendants is urged to contact Special Victims Unit Detective Jessica Tattoli at 908-965-3885 or Detective Sergeant Nicholas Veltre at 908-965-3812.

Convictions on first-degree crimes are commonly punishable by terms of up to 20 years in state
prison, according to prosecutors. Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are punishable by five to ten years and those on third-degree crimes can result in 3 to 5 years.