A 52-year-old Erma man has been arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a minor, authorities said.
Eric Hazel, of the 900 block of Lenape Drive, Erma, was charged following a joint investigation begun June 16 by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Middle Township Police Department, according to a release from the Prosecutor’s Office.
Hazel was arrested on June 17 and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
He is being held at the Cape May County Correctional Center pending further court proceedings.
Under New Jersey law, a conviction for a first-degree crime typically carries a sentencing range
of 10 to 20 years in state prison. However, this case is subject to the provisions of the Jessica Lunsford Act, which deals with aggravated sexual assault of victims under age 13 and under which Hazel faces a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life, with a minimum of 25 years without the possibility of parole.
County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland urged anyone with additional information on this case to contact
the Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 609-465-1135, submit an anonymous tip through the Prosecutor’s Office website at cmcpo.tips, or use the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net by clicking on “anonymous tip.”
Arrest Yields 2,100 Bags of Heroin, $10,000 Cash
Prosecutor: Bust Found a More Dangerous Drug
