Police investigate gang-rape of girl, 7

April 2, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J.

Police ramped up their investigation Thursday into the case of a 7-year-old girl who they say was gang-raped by a group of men while her 15-year-old stepsister watched and got paid for it.

Police conducted a pre-dawn raid at the troubled public-housing complex, a high-rise apartment building so dangerous that officers are hired as security guards at night. They arrested a 20-year-old Trenton man on charges he had sex with the teenager in one of the apartments.

Gregory Joseph Leary was booked Wednesday night on charges of statutory rape and endangering the welfare of a child. Under New Jersey law, the 15-year-old is too young to consent to sex.

Leary was being held Thursday in jail in lieu of a $200,000 cash bond. Jail officials said Leary does not have a listed attorney.

Police said they are investigating whether Leary was involved with the rape of the 7-year-old at a party Sunday night in the apartment complex down the street from the Statehouse.

On Thursday morning, police arrested 27 people on unrelated outstanding warrants during a sweep of Rowan Towers. Trenton police Capt. Joseph Juniak said the raid was planned before the girl’s attack but that it was “somewhat beneficial for investigators” looking into the child rape.

Police believe as many as a dozen people were at the party and said everyone in the apartment when the rape occurred could be legally culpable.

At the party, the 15-year-old starting having sex with several men for money and then gave the younger girl some cash to let a group of men touch her as she looked on, police said. It soon escalated to rape, and the men threatened to kill the child if she screamed or told anyone, according to police.

Police are reviewing surveillance videos at the apartment complex.