25 Years For Newark Man In Kidnapping, Sexual Assault Of 10-Year-Old
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A Newark man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after admitting to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.
Pedro Rios, 60, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Bahir Kamil this past Friday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's office.
Rios pleaded guilty on July 22 of last year to two counts each of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Cyber Crimes Unit tracked down Rios in a probe into the investigation of a child pornography rung involving file-sharing software, prosecutors said. Rios was using the software to get photos and videos of prepubescent children being sexually abused, prosecutors said.
Investigators later learned that Rios had sexually assaulted a child who was entrusted to his care, prosecutors said.
Rios fled New Jersey when he found out he was wanted, but was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service in Santa Ana, California and extradited back, prosecutors said.
"This case highlights the fact that child pornography is not a victimless crime," Assistant Prosecutor Deborah Freier said in a news release. "Those who view and trade child pornography are not just dealing in images. These individuals are actively seeking to watch a child being sexually exploited and abused."
