Woman gets nine years for attempted child rape

SANDUSKY — A woman accused of participating in an infant rape in Sandusky was sentenced to prison Tuesday in Erie County Common Pleas Court.Judge Beverly McGookey sentenced Ruth Cruz, 34, who has a Fulton Street address in Sandusky, to nine years in prison. Cruz pleaded guilty to reduced charges of attempted rape, a first-degree felony, and pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor.A co-defendant, Eddie Cox, 48, also of Fulton Street, already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 22 years in prison for sex crimes involving two children.The charges stem from 2017 incidents on Fulton Street, involving sexual misconduct with an infant child.Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter said that while Cruz's participation in the misconduct was "unfathomable" and "unconscionable." He acknowledged that Cruz reported the sex crimes to police and assisted authorities in the investigation.Cruz gave a statement to the court, where she said that Cox coerced her into participate in the sexual acts."People say there was a way out. I couldn't find a way at the time," Cruz said. "I want to apologize to (the children's mother) and the rest of the family … I'm not my charge, but I take responsibility for it."The mother of the victims also gave a statement to Cruz and the court."Regardless if she was a victim, (Ruth) carried this on for quite some time," the mother said. "I want to see her get a reasonable amount of time for what she's done."McGookey encouraged the victims' mother that she and the children get counseling."People do get through it," she said. When Cruz is released from prison, she will have to register as a sex offender, McGookey said.Visit our Erie County Common Pleas court hub for more storiesReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterRuth Cruz leaves the Erie County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Cruz was sentenced to nine years in prison.Ruth Cruz gives her statement to Judge Beverly K. McGookey prior to her sentencing in the Erie County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.John Toth, the defense attorney to Ruth Cruz, the defendent in the case of Cruz v. Ohio, talk amongst each other prior to Cruz's sentencing in the Erie County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.