A New Jersey man has been convicted of sexually assaulting two young relatives “on a regular basis” for nearly a decade, county prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Christopher A. Bonner, 56, of Vineland, regularly assaulted the two victims between 1993 and 2002, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said in a news release.
The relationship between the defendant and the two kids is not clear, but according to Webb-McRae, they were both under the age of 13 when the abuse began.
On Tuesday, following a jury trial that lasted more than three weeks, jurors found Bonner guilty of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault.
He was acquitted of four additional sexual assault-related charges involving the same victims.
Bonner, who remains detained in county jail, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4. He faces up to 20 years in state prison for the aggravated sexual assault conviction and between five and 10 years of imprisonment for each count of second-degree sexual assault.
Before he can be eligible for parole, Bonner will need to serve 85% of his sentence, as part of the state’s No Early Release Act, or NERA.
After his release, he’ll be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and be subject to a minimum of 15 years of parole supervision, under the state’s Parole Supervision for Life.
