New Jersey man gets 23 years for sexually assaulting, beating woman

HIGHLAND PARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey man was sentenced to 23 years in prison Monday for sexually assaulting a woman after forcing her into an apartment building at gunpoint while she was walking with a child.

Brandon Cox, 23, of Franklin Township, was facing 16 criminal counts including kidnapping and attempted murder before reaching a plea agreement.

He admitted to kidnapping the victim's child and then attacking her. Police say it happened while she was walking with the child on Harper Street in Highland Park on February 19, with Cox dragging her into the basement of a building, sexually assaulting her and repeatedly punching her before running away.

The child was not hurt.

Superior Court Judge Alberto Rivas, sitting in New Brunswick, ordered Cox to register as a Megan's Law sex offender and also ordered that he be placed on parole supervision for life upon his release from prison.

Authorities were alerted to the attack when a resident of Harper Avenue called police after the victim ran to the neighbor's home following the attack.