The husband of a childcare provider in Woodbury convicted of having sexual contact with two young girls in his spouse’s care was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison.

Norberto Perez, 44, of Woodbury, was sentenced in Washington County District Court by Judge Siv Mjanger.

Norberto Perez (Courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office)

Perez was charged in May 2022 with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree sexual conduct. The victims, who were 7 and 10 at the time, were cared for by Perez’s wife at their home on Sandlewood Road in Woodbury, police said.

According to the criminal complaint, Perez would lead the girls to the basement of the house and molest them. One of the girls told police that Perez told her “not to tell anyone” and that it was “their little secret.” The other said Perez told her it was “our secret.”

When one of the girls told her parents about the abuse, her parents reached out to other parents whose children were at the childcare center, according to the complaint.

“After Victim 1 disclosed the abuse to her mother, Victim 2 broke down and reported her abuse to her mother,” the complaint states. “Victim 2’s mother reported Victim 2’s behavior changed over the last several months and she would cry when talking about daycare.”

The children being cared for in the house ranged from ages 3-11, according to the complaint.

When officers initially spoke with Perez, he told police he thought they were there to discuss child pornography with him. Perez indicated officers would find child pornography on his cell phone, the complaint states. It was unclear Friday whether he would still be charged with additional crimes in connection with child pornography.

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