Centereach Rapist Who Tried Silencing 6-Year-Old Victim With 'Pocket Change' Gets 12 Years

A man from Long Island who confessed to sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl and trying to bribe her to remain silent has been sentenced to over ten years in prison.

On Friday, May 12th, Jose Romero, a 34-year-old resident of Centereach, received a 12-year prison sentence in Suffolk County Court.

It came after he pleaded guilty to committing first-degree rape in April 2023.

As per the Suffolk County DA's Office, Romero committed sexual abuse against the child in October 2021, and afterwards provided her with insignificant money and instructed her to keep quiet about it to her parents.

Even though there was a bribe offered, the girl wasted no time in reporting the abuse to her parents, who then notified the authorities.

According to prosecutors, the sexual assault examination conducted at Stony Brook University Hospital revealed that Romero's DNA was connected to the crime.

In a statement, Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney declared that the defendant would be sent to prison where he would be unable to inflict harm on any more children, thanks to the courage displayed by the child.

Encouraging young victims in Suffolk County to speak out against their abusers is a challenging but necessary step to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable residents.

During his court hearing on Friday, Romero was handed a 10-year period of post-release supervision along with mandatory registration on the sex offender list.

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