GETTYSBURG, Pa. – A former employee at Hoffman Homes for Youth in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 11 to 23 months in local prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old resident at the facility. The employee, Oscar Delgadocruz, pleaded guilty to institutional sexual assault of a minor and corruption of a minor, and will also serve six years of probation. Delgadocruz will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under Megan’s Law.

According to court records, the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board determined that Delgadocruz did not meet the criteria to be classified as a sexually violent predator, which would have resulted in additional reporting requirements. Delgadocruz’s attorney, Brian Perry, stated that his client had no prior criminal record and initiated his own sex offender assessment, actively engaging in treatment and accepting responsibility for his actions, which ultimately influenced the judge’s decision to sentence him to partial confinement in county prison rather than state prison.

The prosecution sought a longer sentence, arguing that Delgadocruz had abused his authority as a mental health worker to prey on the victim’s vulnerabilities. The victim, who reported the abuse to another staff member at Hoffman Homes back in December 2022, described how the intimacy between her and Delgadocruz had escalated over time.

Hoffman Homes for Youth, a psychiatric residential treatment facility, took immediate action upon learning of the situation, terminating Delgadocruz and collaborating with state authorities throughout the investigation. The CEO of Hoffman Homes, Rebecca Van der Groef, emphasized the organization’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its residents and implementing additional measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The perpetrator must report to begin serving the restrictive portion of his sentence on December 7th. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding vulnerable individuals, especially in institutions designed to care for them.