Brandon Cox, 23, who was indicted on charges of criminal sexual contact in 2014, was charged Monday with rape and attempted murder in connection with Highland Park incident.
HIGHLAND PARK -- A 23-year-old man charged Monday with beating and raping a woman at gunpoint was previously charged with sexually assaulting a teen in 2014 and served more than a year in jail following a plea deal.
Brandon Cox, 23, of Franklin Township Brandon Cox, of the Somerset section of Franklin Township, faces charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and sexual in the Feb. 19 attack of a 36-year-old woman who was walking with her child in Highland Park, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey.
The woman was walking on Harper Avenue at about 5:30 p.m. when Cox dragged her into the basement of a nearby apartment building at gunpoint, authorities said.
Court records show that Cox was previously indicted on criminal sexual assault charges in 2014 in a nearby Franklin Township. He admitted in May to charges of child abuse and neglect as the result of a plea deal with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.
The prosecutor's office had originally accused Cox, who was 20-years-old at the time and living in South Brunswick, of forcing a 14-year-old to have sex with him.
The teenager and her mother filed a complaint with Franklin police alleging that Cox had assaulted her in her Franklin Township home on four occasions in March 2013 and April 2014, according to a release from the prosecutor's office.
He was sentenced to 18 months as part of the plea deal. He had already served much of that while being held on bail awaiting trial and was released from the Somerset County jail on Aug. 2, 2016, a few days after his sentencing, according to court records.
He served close to 15 months of his 18-month sentence, the records show.
Cox is not listed as a registered sex offender under Megan's Law, according to the state's website.
The Highland Park incident from last month is still under investigation. Cox remains in Middlesex County jail awaiting bail to be set.
Cox is scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. in front of Superior Court Judge Alberto Rivas on Friday.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.