South Jersey Man Gets 17 Years For Sexual Assault Of 4 Children

MAYS LANDING - An Atlantic City man will spend the next 17 years in state prison for multiple charges of the aggravated sexual assault of four children under the age of 10, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said.

Adan Otero, 27, pleaded pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to four counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. The 17-year sentence, subject to the No Early Release Act, was part of the plea agreement, Tyner said.

Otero sexually assaulted four juvenile victims in various locations in Atlantic City over a period of several months in the spring of 2016. He pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child in connection to a fifth victim. All of the children were under the age of 10, the prosecutor said

Otero is in custody in the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of bail, since this was a pre-bail reform case. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office detectives and the Atlantic City Police Department.

Otero was evaluated at the state's Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel and was determined to be a "repetitive and compulsive" offender. He was sentenced according to the New Jersey Sex Offender Act, Tyner said.

He faces the potential of civil commitment upon his release from prison, the prosecutor said.

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page.

People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.

Photo: Courtesy of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office