By: Jeff Sommes
A NJ man was recently sentenced to 8 years in State Prison for having explicit contact with two minors in 2011, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel and Union County Police Officer in Charge Captain John DaSilva announced Saturday. 
Officials said on July 30, Samuel Perl, 36, of Middlesex, pled guilty to one count of 1st degree aggravated assault by penetration (victim under 13) and one count of 2nd degree by explicit contact (victim under 13).
On Friday, December 19, 2025, Union County Superior Court Judge Candido Rodriguez Jr. sentenced Perl to 8 years in State Prison, with Perl required to serve 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Perl is also subject to Megan’s Law, Nicole’s Law (which allows for victims of certain explicit offenses to obtain restraining orders against their abusers), parole supervision for life upon release, and monetary court fines.
On January 15, 2025, the Union County Police Department received a report alleging multiple instances of explicit contact involving two juvenile victims that occurred in Nomehagen Park in Cranford in 2011.
Police investigation revealed that Perl was in his 20s at the time, portrayed himself as a minor in order to meet underage victims online, according to Assistant Prosecutor Izabella Wozniak, who prosecuted the case. 
Perl was subsequently arrested on June 3, 2025, and remanded to County Jail, where he remained until his transfer to State Prison.