Mount Holly Man Receives 25 Years for Sexual Assault of Minors
Friday, October 27, 2017
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 27-year-old homeless man was sentenced today to 25 years in New Jersey state prison for sexually assaulting two young girls in Mount Holly last year.
David W. Ragone pled guilty in March to one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault (First Degree) and one count of Sexual Assault (Second Degree). Under the terms of an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, he received 25 years for the first degree charge and a 10-year concurrent sentence for the second degree charge.
Ragone, who was sentenced by the Hon. Jeanne T. Covert, P.J.Cr., will not be eligible for parole.
The investigation revealed that Ragone was intoxicated when he came across two girls as they played near the railroad tracks that run through Mount Holly in April 2016.
During the encounter the victims attempted to flee, but Ragone threatened to kill them if they resisted. Police were contacted after the girls returned to their home, and Ragone was taken into custody a short time later. He has been in jail since his arrest.
The names, ages and addresses of the victims are being withheld to protect their identities.
“Our thoughts continue to focus on the well-being of the victims,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “No sentence for this predator can erase the horror that these two girls experienced, but hopefully this outcome brings them comfort and serves as a source from which they can draw strength and resilience.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Eife, supervisor of the Prosecutor’s Office Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Unit. The case was investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Mount Holly Police Department. The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Nicholas Villano.