Norwalk man pleads guilty to sex assault of teen

STAMFORD — A Norwalk man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl multiple times over two years.

Efrain Saravia-Cruz, 30, pleaded guilty on Thursday to second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor as a part of a plea bargain with the state.

Under the deal, SaraviaCruz will face up to a 10year prison sentence suspended after three-and-ahalf years on each of the charges, which are both Class B felonies.

Paul Ferencek, state’s attorney for the Stamford/ Norwalk Judicial District, said Saravia-Cruz will also be required to register as a sex offender and undergo at least 10 years of probation “should he remain in the country after being released from jail.”

Saravia-Cruz, an El Salvadorian native, has been imprisoned since his arrest in October 2016.

Saravia-Cruz was arrested by Norwalk police in 2016 after a then-15-year-old family member came forward and accused him of repeated sexual assaults.

According to a warrant, the victim told police that Saravia-Cruz been making advances toward her when she was 7 years old and lived in El Salvador.

When the victim moved to the United States, Saravia-Cruz “aggressively continued” to fondle her and try to have sex with her, the warrant said.

The victim told police she had been raped by Saravia-Cruz at least three times from 2014 to 2016.

Saravia-Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced during his next appearance in court on May 17.