LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa.– A man was sentenced to spend up to 68 years in prison for sexually abusing six girls over 30 years ago.
Tony Cruz, 52, was sentenced to 26-68 years in prison after being convicted in September on multiple charges.
A sentencing judge called Cruz a “fraud” for continuing to deny his guilt and accusing the victims of making false allegations.
Those survivors, now adults, saw Cruz be sentenced on Monday.
He will only be eligible for parole after successfully completing treatment, which requires taking responsibility for what he did.
Cruz was not willing to do that in court on Monday.
Judge Donald Totaro told Cruz, “(The jury) didn’t believe a word you had to say. You are a fraud.”
Cruz adamantly denied committing the crimes, saying he loved the six victims who testified at trial about the abuse they endured after becoming close to Cruz.
Of the six victims that testified at trial, charges only regarded four of them, because the crimes against the two others exceeded the statute of limitations for prosecution.
The judge allowed their testimony because the abuse against all six illustrated a course of criminal conduct.
Cruz testified and denied, just as he did Monday. He said he was “not a troublemaker.”
Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield, who won the trial conviction, said Cruz “had been raping children for over two decades.”
Now, he will serve time.
