A Hilltown Township man has entered a no contest plea to two charges stemming from an investigation that showed he allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.
Cesar Gonzalez, 42, who had a trial scheduled to begin on Tuesday, instead entered a no contest plea to felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old and aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old, court records show. Additional charges of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault without consent, corruption of minors, and furnishing alcohol to a minor were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
A no contest plea carries no admission of guilt but waives the right to a trial and to present a defense. According to the David McKenzie Law Firm, no contest pleas generally result in the same consequences as guilty pleas, however the no contest plea cannot be used against a defendant in civil court or other criminal cases.
Sentencing was deferred so Gonzalez can undergo a sex offender assessment, according to court records. Regardless of the sentence, court documents show Gonzalez will have to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law upon release, and his bail has since been revoked.
The charges were filed on the heels of an investigation by the Hilltown Township Police Department.
Investigators were contacted by the victim on Nov. 17, 2021, to report suspected child abuse. The victim told police that on July 29, 2021, she had sexual intercourse with Gonzalez at his home in Hilltown Township. The victim told investigators she was 14 years old at the time of the sexual assault, according to the criminal complaint.
The report states investigators conducted a forensic interview with the victim on Nov. 19, 2021, in which she revealed that Gonzalez had provided her with alcohol before performing oral sex on her while at his home on July 29, 2021. The victim stated that she tried to push Gonzalez’ head away, and he later moved her to a different couch where he engaged in sexual intercourse, police said.
The victim said Gonzalez moved her to a different couch to avoid line of sight with his juvenile daughter’s bedroom door, as he didn’t want her to see him having sex with the victim, according to the complaint.
Afterwards, Gonzalez offered to take the victim to Wawa at 5:07 a.m. so long as she did not tell anyone about what happened, the report states. A forensic download of the victim’s phone corroborated the movement to Wawa at 5:07 a.m., police said.
On Dec. 1, 2021, police spoke with Gonzalez by phone. During the call, Gonzalez allegedly admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim and moving her to a different couch so his daughter wouldn’t see him with the victim if she came out of the bedroom. A warrant was subsequently issued for Gonzalez’ arrest.
See also:
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