Man Raped Child At South Jersey Motel; His Wife Told Her To Drop It: Court Docs

MANTUA, NJ — A Gloucester County man sexually assaulted a child several times at a motel, and his wife tried to cover up the abuse, police said in court records Patch obtained.

The victim, now an adult, came forward to Mantua police Sunday and said she was sexually assaulted as a child. She told them that the assaults occurred from 2018-20, starting when she was 13 years old, police said.

Husband and wife Michael Brown and Valerie Brown, both of Mantua, were arrested Thursday on charges related to the allegations, police said.

The victim's relationship to the suspects has been withheld to protect her confidentiality.

On several occasions, Michael Brown drove the child to a Best Western motel, where he sexually assaulted her, according to a criminal complaint. He also sexually abused her at different locations in Mantua and Woodbury, the complaint states.

Valerie Brown knew about the hotel visits, which police corroborated with bank statements, according to court documents.

At one point, Valerie contacted the victim and said that the sexual conversations Michael had with her were a joke, the complaint states. She then told the victim to erase the conversations and never contact her husband again, according to the complaint.

Michael Brown, 46, was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a minor between age 13 and 16, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact of a minor.

He was detained at the Salem County Correctional Facility, which provides jailing services for Gloucester County.

Valerie Brown, 44, was charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and tampering with evidence.

"We recognize how difficult it can be for victims to come forward in cases like this and commend the victim for her courage," the Mantua Police Department said in a statement.

Attorney information for the suspects wasn't immediately available in online court records.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who believes they may be a victim and anyone who has information that may help in this investigation can contact Mantua Police Det. Cpl. Jeff Krieger at jkrieger@mantuatownship.com.