A 21-year-old Summit man was sentenced to five years in state prison this morning after he pled guilty to three separate counts of 2nd Degree Sexual Assault against a minor, said Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.
Ryan Vernotico DOB: 5/26/88 will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be on parole supervision for life upon his release from prison, according to Assistant Prosecutor David Hummel, who prosecuted the case.
According to the investigation, earlier this year, the father of one victim found suspicious online communication between Vernotico and his daughter. When asked the girl who was 14-years-old at the time admitted to the relationship with Vernotico, then 20, said Hummel.
The girl told police that she met Vernotico while waking on the street in Summit. He approached in a car and the two stuck up a conversation. They exchanged telephone numbers and met again several weeks later when the sexual activity began, said Hummel.
The first victim introduced Vernotico to two friends and they too had sexual encounters with the man. These cases were discovered while Sgt. Thomas Rich of the Summit Police department and Prosecutor’s Office Detective Patricia Gusmano were conducting their investigation into the original sex assault case. During interviews with the first girl’s friends, the two teenagers said they too had sexual encounters with Vernotico, said Hummel.
The sexual assaults of all three girls happened in February and March of 2009, said Hummel.
Vernotico pled guilty to the charges on May 15, 2009 and was sentenced this morning before Union County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Mega. |
